This month, California lawmakers at both the state and local levels are moving forward with efforts to put in place a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and other well stimulation activities. As I said in my blog post last month, an immediate fracking moratorium is needed to give the state time to thoroughly assess the health risks and environmental impacts of fracking and acidizing, and how to protect against them.
At the state level, Senators Holly Mitchell and Mark Leno introduced a bill last week, Senate Bill 1132, that would put a halt to well stimulation activities, including fracking and acidizing, until the state completes a comprehensive study on the threats and impacts from fracking and measures are in place to protect against negative impacts. NRDC strongly supports this bill and in the coming months we will be working to get it passed through the Legislature.
And tomorrow, the Los Angeles City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee will be considering a motion by Council Members Paul Koretz and Mike Bonin that would impose a moratorium on well stimulation activities until the City Council is assured that the environmental impacts are fully mitigated and public water supplies are fully protected. We strongly support this motion as well (see our support letter here), and will be at the PLUM meeting tomorrow to urge the Committee to pass this motion and move it to the full City Council for a vote.
NRDC commends these lawmakers for giving voice to the concerns of a majority of Californians who agree that a fracking moratorium is needed now. We are fully engaged in these efforts and will provide updates as they move forward in the process.