| Post

Scott Wiener introduces bill to ban California fracking by 2027

by J.D. Morris, The San Francisco Chronicle Highlights State Senators Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, and Sen. Monique Limon, D-Santa Barbara, introduced a bill that would halt the issuance of permits for fracking and phase out the practice by 2027  Sen. Wiener explains why this bill is so important: “The world is being strangled right now … Read more

| Post

Report: CRC’s failure could leave California taxpayers with $900 million burden

by Gabby Brown, Sierra Club Highlights New analysis from the Sierra Club shows that natural gas exploration company California Resources Corporation (CRC) may leave California taxpayers with $900 million in costs for the remediation of thousands of abandoned oil wells CRC has ownership interest in nearly 18,000 oil wells that can cause greenhouse gas emissions, … Read more

| Post

Opinion: Methane leaks in the Central Valley may be worsening COVID-19 cases

by Karen L. Jones, California Health Report Highlights According to the California Department of Public Health, the death rate due to chronic lower respiratory disease is 12 times higher in the San Joaquin Valley compared to the rest of the state and 14 times higher than the national rate The intense pollution in the region … Read more

| Post

Tired of wells that threaten residents’ health, a small California town takes on the oil industry

Committee For A Better Arvin / Comite para un Arvin mejor

by Julia Kane, Inside Climate News Highlights In the Central Valley of California, exhaust from semi-trucks, oil and gas fumes, plus pesticides from the agricultural sector are trapped in the valley, creating mass pollution that creates severe health problems Health effects include asthma, respiratory illnesses, preterm birth, low birth weight, and cancer  Pollution caused by … Read more

| Post

AB 345 will fight CA oil industry’s environmental racism

Oil drilling near homes by haymarketrebel

by Jane Fonda and Don Martin, The Sacramento Bee Highlights Politicians that allow pollution in our state’s most vulnerable neighborhoods, which are disproportionately communities of color, are signaling that this environmental racism is not a concern and that people of color are “disposable” Over 215,000 people in Los Angeles live within 2,500 feet of an active … Read more

| Post

A jobs program to plug abandoned oil wells sounds like a win-win. Is it?

by Emily Pontecorvo, Grist Highlights Abandoned oil wells across the country are leaking methane, a greenhouse gas that has 86 times the heat-trapping power of carbon dioxide The impending collapse of the oil industry around the world will only make matters worse, as more oil wells will be abandoned and the gas leaks will continue … Read more

| Post

The rise of leaky wells and taxpayer liabilities

Fracking rig operates next to a walking and bike way for residents of Signal Hill drilling into the Los Angeles Oil Field. Photo by Sarah Craig.

A rapidly growing movement is underway in California to call out Governor Gavin Newsom for ramping up approval of fracking and drilling permits. This comes at a time when the effects of fossil fuel pollution on public health is of grave concern and many oil and gas companies may abandon leaky wells because of bankruptcy with falling demand for their products.

| Post

Culver City releases study that supports its authority to phase out neighborhood oil drilling

by Gabby Brown, Sierra Club Highlights Culver City’s city council released a new report today indicating that the city would have the authority to phase out oil drilling within the next year  Local communities have voiced concern about the negative health impacts of neighborhood drilling, which exposes nearby residents to toxic chemicals and puts them at … Read more