western states petroleum association fracking
We cover also focus on solar power, healthy food, and the national and local politics and policy that make it all possible. In the first six months of 2015, the oil industry spent $6.2 million to lobby state officials, including $2,529,240 spent by the Western States Petroleum Association alone. It’s detrimental to the well-being of our people, our economic recovery and attaining the truly sustainable energy future that all of us want.”, For more on 2020 oil permits, see: https://www.consumerwatchdog.org/energy/newsom-administration-doubles-new-oil-and-gas-production-well-permits-misses-deadline, For information on Big Oil lobbying in California in 2020, see my article: www.counterpunch.org/…, Your email address will not be published. Stay in touch. We need to end all fossil fuel extraction right now, especially fracking.”, -Marc Futernick, MD, California Hospital Medical Center, Regional Medical Director, Board of Directors, Chairman, VEP Healthcare, “As a Monterey County resident, parent, and clinician, I am writing to appreciate and support your proposed legislation to ban fracking. National News . These articles are presented for informational purposes only. All of us are affected by this. “They create environmental and public health damage that can’t be restored. year, the administration granted 128 new fracking permits, down 40% over 2019. TheWestern States Petroleum Association (WSPA), founded in 1907, describes itself as the oldest petroleum trade association in the United States. That means, hundreds of thousands of more Californians without jobs, the state facing billions in takings claims, and our people being completely reliant on petroleum produced in other parts of the world. limits multiple kinds of oil drilling, not just fracking. The drop was largely due to an ongoing moratorium placed by Gov. The United States shatavari menstrual cycle Further, one size does not fit all in higher education. As climate change poses an existential risk to our planet and our state, it’s critical we act quickly to end the most environmentally harmful oil extraction practices, to protect public health, and to move aggressively toward a 100% clean energy economy,” they said. On the other hand, Western States Petroleum Association President and CEO Catherine Reheis-Boyd, the former Chair of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative Blue Ribbon Task Force to create so-called “marine protected areas” in Southern California, issued the following statement in response to the introduction of SB 467 today: “There could not be a better example of the disconnect that exists between the policymakers in Sacramento and the everyday Californians who do the real work to move our state forward than SB 467. The LA City Council recently voted unanimously to pursue a phase-out of oil drilling throughout the city. These oil extraction methods can cause serious and life-threatening complications such as asthma, congenital heart defects, respiratory complications, chronic migraines, and a host of pregnancy complications including lower birth weights, a lower infant health index, and even an increased risk of miscarriage. Oil extraction near where people live, go to school, etc., is extremely harmful to people’s health. State Sen. Henry Stern, D-Los Angeles, chair of the Natural Resources and Water Committee, told KQED that state lawmakers needed to create a package of legislation that limits multiple kinds of oil drilling, not just fracking. Gavin Newsom called on state lawmakers to develop legislation that would eliminate new fracking licenses by 2024 — but at least one top state lawmaker wants to go further. Why allow the continuation of such risky and OBSOLETE fuel extraction such as fracking? Former Governor Jerry Brown and the state legislature failed to ban fracking. Editorâs Note. Itâs fracking that has kept many of the countyâs wells operating, said Ortiz, who worked on energy policy for the Western States Petroleum Association before joining the chamber. Overall, oil regulators issued a total of 3,745 permits in 2020 for all types of drilling including new oil production wells, new wells using enhanced stimulation, and permits to rework existing wells, reflecting a drop of 14.5% over the year before. The nation on Tuesday elected a president who describes man-made climate change as "a hoax" and green energy as "an expensive way to make tree huggers feel good about themselves." It is jointly authored by Senators Scott Wiener and Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara), and is co-authored by Senator Ben Allen (D-Los Angeles), and Assemblymembers Mark Stone (D-Santa Cruz) and Ash Kalra (D-San Jose). Representing the more than 150,000 women and men who have proudly powered the western states since 1907, WSPA works with government ⦠By Catherine Reheis-Boyd, President Western States Petroleum Association. The content produced by this site is for entertainment purposes only. During 2020, the administration also issued 283 permits to drill new wells using so-called “enhanced” well stimulation techniques such as steam flooding and cyclic steaming used to pry oil from increasingly depleted wells. The controversial oil well stimulation method works to get fuel out of the ground by using water and chemicals to crack open geological formations, injections that allow petroleum under the ground to flow more freely. Is Coca Cola helping the environment? They also say environmentalists have misled the public about the dangers of well stimulation often done deep under the ground, far away from drinking water sources, and in remote parts of Kern County. I am very attuned to air pollution issues and the related environmental justice issues in public policy. Last September, Gov. "It is time that California's leaders take on the state's behemoth oil industry," Ann Alexander, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement announcing the proposal along with the two state lawmakers. When it comes to creating a truly sustainable energy future, the question isnât if oil and gas will play a role but what role we will continue to play. This month Western City presents three articles about hydraulic fracturing (fracking): an overview, the case for fracking and the case against. These additional methods can include hydraulic fracturing, acid well stimulation treatments, cyclic steam operations, and water and steam flooding. For an in-depth investigation into Big Oil’s lobbying expenses in 2020, read my article: www.counterpunch.org/…. Western States Petroleum Association blasts SB 467, saying it would result in ‘total production ban’. WSPA spent $4.67 million in 2013. Catherine Reheis-Boyd, president and CEO of the Western States Petroleum Association, said the legislation was âso broad and ambiguousâ it would âlead to a ⦠“These production and extraction methods have been shown to pose significant risks to the environment and public health, particularly when conducted within 2,500 feet of human activity. Last. Western States Petroleum Association and our member companies are proudly dedicated to guaranteeing that every American has access to reliable energy options through socially, economically and environmentally responsible policies and regulations. Instead of this unconscionable assault on our children’s health, we must invest in cleaner energy solutions for a healthier future for our kids. “The scientific evidence is clear,” said Dr. Karina Maher, a Los Angeles-based pediatrician and a member of Climate Health Now. We need to stop fracking now, and choose the cleaner and safer options for our children and our planet.”, -Priyanka Fernandes, MD, MBBS, MPH, Preventive Medicine Fellowship Director, UCLA, Pediatric Infectious Disease and Public Health and Preventive Medicine Specialist, “For too long black and brown communities have borne the brunt of the negative impacts of fossil fuel extraction. The Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) led the list with $8.9 million spent on lobbying in 2014, nearly double what it spent in the previous year. Consumer Watchdog also issued the following statement in support of 467: Consumer Watchdog Applauds Bill To Ban All Dangerous Forms Of Oil Extraction Including Hydraulic Fracturing. Oil extraction overwhelmingly occurs near where people of color and low income people live, causing significant negative health impacts,” the release stated. [jump] The Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), an oil industry trade association that every year tops the list of spenders among ⦠Chevron placed first with $8.2 million and the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) placed second with $6.2 million. The setbacks portion of the bill will be amended into SB 467 in 30 days, for administrative reasons, according to Wiener and Limon. Thatâs a total of $3,981,489 just between July 1 ⦠Banning these harmful oil extraction methods is a critical environmental justice issue, especially as the most impacted frontline communities living near these oil and gas wells are often lower-income communities of color without access to quality healthcare. Regulators issued 1,709, according to Consumer Watchdog and FracTracker Alliance. The groups say bans on oil drilling will hurt consumers; that demand for gasoline in the state is too high to cut down on oil production; and that California is not set up yet energize enough electric cars and will need to rely on fossil fuel for years. This legislation is a textbook example of this idea being translated into action, and together with our rapidly growing Climate Health Now community, we look forward to normalizing and scaling these kinds of solutions for people and planet at all levels ranging from local to global.”, -Nathaniel Uchtmann, MD, JD, Monterey County, “Mounting evidence demonstrates the potential of fracking to worsen the risk of birth defects and asthma, and cause hormonal disruptions in children, especially those in minority or low-income communities. The division would offer incentives to well remediation contractors to hire former oil workers. Yet, these lawmakers are focused on eliminating our ability to provide safe, affordable and reliable energy for families and businesses under environmental standards that are already the toughest in the world. In 2014 in California, with hydraulic fracturing alone, oil producers used nearly 70 million gallons of water. Legislators Allow Fracking: They voted down this fracking moratorium bill, even as a new poll shows few Californians support fracking! Catherine Reheis-Boyd is president of the Western States Petroleum Association and can be reached at cathy@wspa.org. It causes people to die before their time. Let’s stop ruining lives by drilling for something that will only hurt us more if we use it. I thank and applaud Senators Wiener and Limón for their efforts to ban fracking.”, -Aditi Mhaskar, MD, Pediatrics, Preventive Medicine Fellow at UCLA, “I am a retired Public Health Educator, having worked for decades at Ventura County Public Health in tobacco and smoking policy. SB 467 is sponsored by the Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment (CRPE). My husband and I lost our home in the 2017 Thomas Fire, in a Ventura foothills neighborhood that had been untouched by fire for the entire 40 years of its existence. The suit also says the city violated the California Constitution when it banned well stimulation in other municipalities if the ⦠Below is the press release from Senator Wiener: Senators Wiener and Limón Introduce Legislation to Ban Fracking and Other Destructive Oil Extraction Methods and to Require Distance Between Oil Extraction and Homes and Schools. It is a health imperative for the State of California to stop drilling where we live, work, play and pray.”, -Martha Dina Arguello, Executive Director Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los Angeles, “Drilling for fossil fuels, particularly by fracking, poisons those close by, especially those most vulnerable such as babies and pregnant women. Oil drilling in California has faced criticism for its disproportionately negative health impacts on Latino communities and other people of color. Newsom also placed a nine-month moratorium on fracking permits in 2019, but regulators began issuing fracking permits again in April 2020. “SB 467 will also prohibit all new or renewed permits for oil and gas extraction within 2,500 feet of any homes, schools, healthcare facilities or long-term care institutions such as dormitories or prisons, by January 1, 2022. Medical professionals across the state are speaking out in support of SB 467: “As a Sacramento physician and father, I staunchly support the legislation proposed by Senators Wiener and Limón to ban fracking and other destructive oil extraction measures. original image (915x610) From January 1 to March 31, 2020, the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), the largest and most powerful corporate lobby in California, spent $1,089,702 lobbying state officials, according to financial data filed with the California Secretary of State on April 30. Flores notes that oil production in California has been on the decline. SB 467 further directs the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) to identify oil and gas workers who have lost their jobs and offer incentives to well remediation contractors to prioritize the hiring of these identified former workers. Californians and our children can ill afford the additional contamination of our finite ground water, release of methane into our air, and increased birth defects, cancer, and asthma associated with these techniques. WSPAmaintains headquarters in Sacramento, California with additional offices across the western states. Senators Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) today introduced legislation, Senate Bill 467, to ban fracking and other destructive oil extraction methods and to require setbacks between oil extraction and homes and schools in California. Hydraulic fracturing led to the production of 2.3 million barrels of oil in California, or 1.5% of the state's oil production, in 2019, according to CalGEM's most recent available data. Beyond air pollution, residing near oil or gas extraction can lead to noise and light pollution, causing fatigue, depression and irritability.”. The San Ramon-based Chevron pumped the third most money into lobbying, a ⦠The study was funded, in part, by the Western States Petroleum Association and was conducted by an independent university research team, USC said. Fracking companies are currently financially unprofitable; we should not mortgage the future of our children on these economically and ecologically failed extractive industries.”, -William C. Pevec, MD, Professor Emeritus, Vascular Surgery at University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, “On behalf of my pediatric patients, I’m very concerned about the ill-effects of fracking and other extraction methods. Democratâs Fracking Bill Will Cost Californian Jobs. These oil extraction methods pose significant risks to the environment and public health, and threaten California’s economic future. Western States Petroleum, Inc 450 South 15th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85007 (602) 252-4011 1-800-280-1353 Fax: (602) 340-9621 That method was the one used in connection with a massive petroleum release in a Kern County oil field, prompting state officials to issue a $2.7 million fine against Chevron. The Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) alone has spent more than $16 million lobbying in Sacramento since 2009. “It employs common sense in a step-by-step approach that also considers the needs of oil workers in the context of protecting public health and the environment.”. The Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) and the California Independent Petroleum Association (CIPA) say a proposal to ban fracking or any other extraction technique will hurt oil workers and increase the state's reliance on fuel from sources outside of the country. The council is one of six environmental groups that supports the bill. “Climate change is not a theoretical future threat — it’s an existential threat to our community and is having devastating impacts right now,” said Senator Wiener. Sign up for our daily newsletter. After Newsom called for the fracking ban last year, Catherine Reheis-Boyd, president of the Western States Petroleum Association, warned ⦠Last year, the Governor signaled it was time to stop this type of oil development and the legislature has now come up with a solution. This pollution is partially caused by chemicals used during these extraction methods, including but not limited to: benzene, hydrogen sulfide, and formaldehyde, all of which can cause cancer. The bill also calls for the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM), which regulates the industry, to help transition oil employees away from drilling. We can’t get businesses open and people back to work or even figure out how to pay unemployment benefits to millions. The increase happened during a push by WSPA and other oil and gas industry to roll back transportation fuels coming under California's cap-and-trade program under the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Industry groups representing oil companies will likely lobby aggressively against any new limits on oil production. Cyclic steaming could become a thing of the past if SB 467, introduced by Senators Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Monique Limon (D-Santa Barbara), becomes law. The bill would prohibit the issuance or renewal of a permit to conduct fracking, in addition to “enhanced” well stimulation techniques including steam flooding, water flooding, and cyclic steaming starting on January 1, 2022. Consumer Watchdog today welcomed newly introduced state legislation—SB 467—to ban fracking and a host of other more commonly employed and dangerous techniques used to coax stubborn-and-hard to reach oil and gas out of the ground. © 2021 Red GREEN and Blue and its various contributors, many of which are provided under a Creative Commons license. Our children have already suffered the health effects of these methods through preterm births, birth defects, miscarriage, cancer, heart attack, stroke, asthma, depression. The Western States Petroleum Association and the California Independent Petroleum Association have said in the past that proposals to ban fracking and other drilling techniques will mean oil workers will suffer and California's reliance on fuel from sources outside of the country will increase. Because of climate change, California has seen years of extreme drought, costing the state billions and killing tens of thousands of agriculture-related jobs. The resulting health impacts have an outsized impact on the immediate surrounding communities. See an interactive map showing permit numbers and locations at the website: http://www.NewsomWellWatch.com. This legislation has my strongest support.”. In 2020, California oil regulators more than doubled the dispensing of permits to drill new oil and gas production wells over 2019.