Environment California Calls on the Federal Government To Investigate Fracking Off the California Coast

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New information shows that oil companies have been fracking off the coast of California

Environment California

Sacramento—Environment California joins a group of state lawmakers in calling for an investigation by federal regulators into reports of oil companies engaging in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, off the California coast.

“I’m floored. An Associated Press story reported that oil companies have been fracking off our coasts for years and basically no one in California, including the California Coastal Commission, knew about it,” said Dan Jacobson, legislative director for Environment California.

Assembly member Das Willimas authored a letter that was signed by state legislators Sens. Fran Pavley of Agoura Hills, Noreen Evans of Santa Rosa and Hannah-Beth Jackson of Santa Barbara and Democratic Assembly members Mark Stone of Scotts Valley, Marc Levine of San Rafael, Richard Bloom of Santa Monica, Adrin Nazarian of Sherman Oaks and Bob Wieckowski of Fremont. The letter calls on the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate fracking happening off the coast of California.

Federal regulations exempt fracking wastewater from clean water laws, so oil companies have reportedly been dumping toxic, chemical-laden wastewater right back into the ocean—right in areas where blue and humpback whales congregate.

According to the article by the Associated Press, the wastewater contains chemicals that are “toxins to fish larvae and crustaceans, bottom dwellers most at risk from drilling activities, according to government health disclosure documents detailing some of the fluids used off California’s shore.”

“This is just one more reason why we need to ban fracking in the state of California—to protect our land and our coasts. We can’t regulate fracking and we know it is an environmental nightmare that is coming to California,” said Jacobson.

Environment California is a statewide, citizen-funded, environmental advocacy organization that works for clean air, clean water, and open space.

www.EnvironmentCalifornia.org