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Ting Calls for Fracking Moratorium in California

For immediate release:

SACRAMENTO, CA - Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) joined 8 state lawmakers today in calling on Governor Jerry Brown to prohibit fracking in California until health and environmental concerns are addressed.

“We need more common sense injected into fracking policy,” said Ting.  “Until then, we need a moratorium.  Without tough regulations in place, the state cannot ensure that fracking is safe.”

Fracking is the injection of large volumes of water, sand, and chemicals at high pressure underground to crack rock formations and release oil and gas.  As directed through Senate Bill (SB) 4, signed by Brown last year, the California Department of Conservation has released interim rules to regulate these practices throughout 2014 as well as a first draft of the more detailed, permanent regulations that will take effect in 2015.

Ting cited concerns that oil companies will not disclose the chemicals they use in fracking, claiming trade secret protections.

“As long as the chemicals used in fracking are kept secret, the public will never know what potential risks exist to the environment and public health,” added Ting.

Further information about SB 4 is available at www.leginfo.ca.gov.  A copy of the letter to Brown follows.

The Honorable Edmund G. Brown, Jr.
Governor of California
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814

Re: Moratorium on Fracking

Dear Governor Brown:

This letter is to respectfully request that you issue an executive order to prohibit the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) within the Department of Conservation from allowing hydraulic fracturing or hydrofracturing, commonly known as fracking, in California until health and environmental concerns are addressed.

The vast public health and safety implications of fracking, as well as the tremendous public concern over this practice, require our collective and urgent action. We believe it is time to join with Californians who disapprove of the dangers fracking poses to their communities.

We the undersigned join CREDO Action in calling for this moratorium. Attached is a petition circulated by CREDO Action on this issue and signed by thousands of concerned Californians.

As you know, California values protecting our environment and public health and safety. Current studies show fracking threatens California’s precious water supply, further disrupts our approach to mitigate the dangerous impacts of climate change, exacerbates our air pollution problems, and the disposal of wastewater associated with fracking may increase seismic activity.

Therefore, we respectfully request that you impose a moratorium on fracking while you fully investigate the science behind fracking for oil production.

Sincerely,

MARC LEVINE
Assemblymember, 10th Assembly District

DAS WILLIAMS
Assemblymember, 37th Assembly District

ADRIN NAZARIAN
Assemblymember, 46th Assembly District

RICHARD BLOOM
Assemblymember, 50th Assembly District

LONI HANCOCK
State Senator, 9th Senate District

BONNIE LOWENTHAL
Assemblymember, 70th Assembly District

NOREEN EVANS
State Senator, 2nd Senate District

PHIL TING
Assemblymember, 19th Assembly District

LOIS WOLK
State Senator, 3rd Senate District

Contact: Anthony Matthews, tel. (916) 319-2019, anthony.matthews@asm.ca.gov