First, please read, sign and share. This is appalling. Fracking chemicals are linked to breast cancer. Last year, Komen raised more than $250 million, but Baker Hughes only had to spend $100,000 to persuade Komen to help it pinkwash fracking’s toxic impact on women’s health.
Contaminated ground water and water supplies where fracking takes place is inevitable.
I immediately forwarded that information onto each of the Supervisors as well as WRAC and the Health Commission and also the local media, Tribune, New Times, Cal Coast news, SLO City News. Got zip in response.
I reminded the Board that we are entitled to a response to the over 5,000 petitioners calling on the Board for a countywide ban on fracking for the very reasons mentioned in the above report. Its about the Water. I also reminded them we are entitled to a timely response and it has been 5 months.Therefore, we expect a response to our petitions by no later than the end of this month’s business agenda. Any further delays will be regarded as an intent to dismiss, ignore or disregard our petitions and a dereliction of their duty.
Our concerns calling for a countywide ban on unconventional, enhanced drilling of fossil fuels, fracking, are about the safety, health and well being of this community now and in the future. Unconventional drilling is directly related to this report about contaminated aquifers, man made earthquakes from drilling operations and sickening air pollution. The Board has all the evidence and reasons they need to support a countywide ban on fracking.
The Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, Oct 14, Agenda item #5, Presentation of current drought conditions, related management actions, and response plans did not have a single mention of the communities concern about preventing the wasting of over 8 billion gallons of water at the Arroyo Grande oil fields.
Our petitions calling for an immediate countywide ban on the toxification of billions of gallons of fresh water seems to be of no consequence to the Board.Since the Board of Supervisors is the Lead Agency in the Arroyo Grande Oil field operation and if the project is approved by the Board, this means that if there is a citizen complaint about any irregularities, spills, noise, water, air, traffic, earthquake damage, deaths, they must take their complaints to the Board of Supervisors.
In which case the Board has full discretion on how to process the complaints. They could, if they wanted to, ignore ,delay, dismiss the complaints. It’s their choice. They could handle the complaints in the same manner they are handling our petitions. Case in point, West Adams LA were citizens have been complaining to their ‘lead agency’ about health issues involving the Freeport drilling operations in their neighborhood for 10 years. http://la.streetsblog.org/2014/01/14/west-adams-neighbors-come-together-to-oppose-the-drillers-next-door/ When a community is dealing with hostile officials unresponsive to the needs of their constituents these kinds of delays can be life threatening.
I am of the opinion that as voters, taxpayers, signatories we deserve an answer in a timely manner to our call for a countywide ban. In the interest of saving staff time a draft resolution was submitted for their consideration. Attached. Also being ignored by the Board.Would anyone like to join in filing a class action citizen’s complaint with the Grand Jury against the Board of Supervisors calling for an immediate response to the resolution calling for an countywide ban on fracking?
The primary function of the grand jury is to examine all aspects of local government, ensuring that the county is being governed honestly and efficiently and that county monies are being handled judiciously.
I think we can make a very strong case that our safety, health and the environmental well being of future generations is totally dependent upon a fresh, clean, uninterrupted supply of water and fracking can not offer one single benefit to that end and the Board of Supervisors has a duty and responsibility to insure first and foremost the safety and health of the community. They can do all that by signing the resolution to ban fracking in SLO county. Making it very easy for the Board to do the right thing here.
DOGGR is in the process of taking public comment on its proposed fracking regulation which does not include high pressure cyclic steam injection ( linked to earthquake and the method of choice at the Arroyo Grande Oil Fields).Thousands of permit applications to drill are expected. I have some questions. How many additional people is DOGGR going to hire to process the applications and monitor the 1000’s of new wells? If DOGGR’s budget does not address the influx of applications that will need to be processed and manpower to monitor the new regulations the whole process is a sham and meaningless. The only protection we are going to have against these kinds of inadequacies is an out and out ban. The oil industry has a history of dumping, spilling, violating regulations. PG&E was convicted of 3700 violations in the San Bruno disaster. Nuclear Regulatory Agency suppressing documents and reports on safety and health issues at Diablo. Why do you think that is?
Here is contact info if you would like to get your 2 cents in on the DOGGR regulations.
End of Comment Period on SB4 Revisions
Oct 24 8:00am-5:00pm
October 24th is the last day to comment on the 2nd revision of the proposed SB4 regulations on oil and gas well stimulations. Get your views heard while you can! Comments can be submitted by e-mail to DOGGRRegulations@conservation.ca.gov.
Wrapping it up.
Going to be at the Reskilling event at the Vets hall on Sunday Nov.9. I will have a complaint form for the Grand Jury there for you to sign. Isn’t this fun? This is civics 101. Hands on. Learn by doing. Please join me. The more the merrier.
SLO Clean Water 