Governor Brown Must Impose a Fracking Moratorium Immediately

SACRAMENTO (September 16th, 2013) – Governor Brown’s last minute amendments to the newly passed California fracking legislation (SB 4) undermine critical fracking safeguards as well as foundational state environmental review processes, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.  Due to the risks this legislation allows, Governor Brown should immediately impose a moratorium on fracking in the state in order to fully assess the health and environmental threats posed by the dangerous practice.

“Governor Brown let a good bill go bad,” said Annie Notthoff, NRDC director of California advocacy. “Our leaders should put Californians’ health and safety first.  But these last-minute amendments to the fracking bill undercut critical safety measures. Governor Brown needs to right this wrong by heeding the call of a majority of Californians – impose a moratorium on fracking now until the risks are fully evaluated.”

NRDC worked with Senator Fran Pavley, the bill’s author, to ensure SB 4 would put critical safeguards in place to protect Californians from risky fracking activities.  The bill still contains new permit requirements, groundwater monitoring, chemical disclosure, public notification, interagency management and independent hazards study.  Unfortunately, new damaging amendments that call into question requirements for comprehensive review of the impacts of fracking and acidization undercut the bill’s overall intent. 

See NRDC’s letter to Governor Brown requesting a fracking moratorium - http://docs.nrdc.org/energy/ene_13091601.asp