Kathy Dervin
Did you know that California is one of the only oil producing states that doesn’t require a safety buffer zone between where oil and gas drilling happens and where people live, play, and go to school? In certain areas that drilling goes on right next to homes, health clinics, schools, and parks. (see photo). That changed in 2022 when the legislature finally passed SB 1137, a bill by Senator Lena Gonzalez, which required a 3200-foot set back between industrial oil extraction operations and “sensitive receptors” in other words people.
Frontline communities and environmental justice led organizations (Voices In Solidarity Against Oil in Neighborhoods (VISION) worked for many years to win the setbacks legislation, fighting against Big Oil, corporate interests and the state Building Trades. In Sept, 2022, a broad coalition, led by frontline community members, with health, faith, women, youth and environmental groups, finally passed the strongest setback law in the country. As communities looked forward to finally getting the health protection they had long fought for, oil companies almost immediately filed a referendum to OVERTURN the law. Using their oil-dirty profits, they paid $20 million to collect signatures and qualified their measure for the Nov, 2024 ballot. As is often the case in environmental and climate justice efforts the industry uses their money and power to block or delay the actions we need for a healthy, equitable and climate safe world. But we also don’t give up!
The Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California is a broad and growing coalition working to defeat the oil industry’s cynical and dangerous efforts to block implementation of 3200 foot setbacks in SB 1137. It will be a David vs Goliath effort as the oil industry plans to spend $200 million! to defeat the law at the ballot box. But we’ll have numbers, solidarity, organizing and justice on our side. The campaign is just getting off the ground but there will be many ways be part of saying NO to Big Oil. Your organization can help by endorsing the campaign to Protect Neighborhoods from Toxic Oil Drilling. This will be one of the most important environmental measures on the ballot in November and we’ll need hundreds of organizers and millions of dollars to defeat oil companies’ lies and manipulations. Stay tuned for more info!