Millions of Californians are celebrating Governor Newsom’s proposed ban on new oil and gas drilling within 3,200 feet of schools, homes, and hospitals to protect public health. Once passed, this will be the nation’s largest buffer zone separating new polluting oil wells from communities. This move shows that Governor Newsom means business when he says: “We don’t see oil in our future.” But the fight isn’t over yet.
We need to stop putting oil company profits over the health of our kids.
Your zip code shouldn’t determine if your kid gets asthma or is born with a birth defect.
It’s time to stop the drilling of any new oil wells within 3,200 feet of homes & schools.pic.twitter.com/V2c9kFAPla
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) October 21, 2021
Despite the Golden State’s environmental reputation, oil drilling across the state takes place dangerously close to communities. Over seven million Califorians live within a mile of drill sites that use and emit known carcinogens and chemicals with proven records of toxicity. Pollution from drill sites contribute to health impacts including cancer, preterm birth and low birth weights, asthma and other respiratory diseases, hospitalization for heart failure, fatigue, stress, and severe cases of COVID-19.
No more nosebleeds, no more cancer, no more asthma.
We’re ready to bring the voices of the people to Sacramento again to end neighborhood oil and gas drilling – including redrilling. ✊✊✊@CBEcal youth organizer Ashley Hernandez @Aleyvette speaks out on @KTLAMorningNews: pic.twitter.com/UcQeMdD9WP
— California Environmental Justice Alliance (@cejapower) October 22, 2021
Neighborhood drilling threatens life expectancy and overwhelmingly impacts Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and low-income communities. It is one of the clearest examples of California’s legacy of environmental racism.
“Residents in Kern County who have for decades been suffocated with dangerous gases from oil facilities are finally receiving good news.” -Nayamin Martinez of @CCEJN
📰: Full press release from @VoicesCA @CCEJN @PSRLA @CBECal @CRPE_EJ @CenValAir 🦋🦋🦋https://t.co/FQT33aPepr pic.twitter.com/afrCkHZtCR
— California Environmental Justice Alliance (@cejapower) October 22, 2021
“This is what it looks like when the credible voice of health professionals stands with the powerful voice of frontline communities to fight for health over oil industry profit.”
📢 Read our statement about yesterday’s historic #EnvironmentalJustice win: https://t.co/yNm9TBcSpF pic.twitter.com/msCaPepExm
— PSR-LA (@PSRLA) October 22, 2021
Communities living on the frontlines of California’s dirty fossil fuel industry came together to form VISION – Voices in Solidarity against Oil in Neighborhoods. With the support of climate justice and public health advocates at Last Chance Alliance, they led the fight for this health and safety buffer for nearly a decade. By urging the Governor to listen to the stories of impacted community members, these groups representing millions of Californians helped secure this significant victory. It wasn’t a straight path and there were many delays. But organizations and advocates persevered to hold Governor Newsom and his agencies accountable.
Environmental Justice group Communities for a Better Environment is one of the organizations leading the fight to protect communities. This past summer, they teamed up with Jane Fonda to take the first Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom on a “toxic tour” of Wilmington to show her firsthand what it’s like to live with fossil fuel infrastructure in your backyard.
@Janefonda & @JenSiebelNewsom visited neighborhood oil drilling sites and listened as frontline community members shared impacts to their health and their quality of life. It’s time to right this wrong and end neighborhood oil drilling in #California. #Wilmington #AllenCo pic.twitter.com/15Djex0MWE
— CBECal (@CBECal) August 3, 2021
Today, Californians are celebrating because these long-overdue health and safety protections from dirty oil operations are finally in motion. Frontline communities and environmental justice advocates invite others to join them in thanking Governor Newsom for this historic announcement and keeping up the fight for even more.
While historic, the draft rule falls short of true equity and justice in many ways, specifically in that it does not extend the setback regulation to existing wells or redrilling permits at those existing sites. Though this recommendation is included in the official Public Health Expert advisory to the administration, it is absent from the draft rule.
Members of VISION and LCA will be working to ensure that the final rule includes rigorous and comprehensive protections from existing oil and gas wells. We’ll be organizing our millions of members to make sure this incredible opportunity truly protects communities and advances environmental justice values. It’s up to us to raise our voices, provide public comment, and call on the Governor to strengthen this rule and defend it from industry misinformation. Join us as we help bring this climate and public health victory across the finish line.
Now after a historic announcement, it’s time to stay committed to setbacks. We’re calling on all CA leaders to carry health and safety setbacks to the finish line!
Moving to end =/= ENDING neighborhood oil drilling. Let’s win this. #SetbacksNow #NoDrillingWhereWereLiving https://t.co/WcY4MuUqrU
— VISION CA 3,200ft Setbacks Now (@VoicesCA) October 21, 2021
