Dan Bacher Posts

A California bill imposing a moratorium on the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) method of oil extraction passed a major hurdle Friday when the state's Senate Environmental Quality Committee approved the measure on a 5 to 2 vote. The impacts of fracking have been little studied, even while oil companies continue to expand its use.

As many taxpayers were scurrying to send in their state and federal taxes on April 15, three environmental groups asked the big, unanswered question looming over the Bay Delta Conservation Plan to build the twin tunnels: Who will pay?

The California Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water passed SB 1132 early this week, legislation that will place a moratorium on fracking and well stimulation until the state fully studies the impact of the oil extraction on California's air and water quality, public health and economy. Approved by a 5-2 vote, the bill now heads to another Senate committee before progressing further on what is surely a long road ahead.

On April 1, State and federal officials announced in a media call that they would "temporarily" allow increased water exports out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to capture run off from the latest storm, in spite of the the threat it would pose to Central Valley salmon, steelhead, Delta smelt and longfin smelt. In a move designed to solely benefit agribusiness and fracking ventures, the Department of Water Resources have increased pumping by up to 433 percent.

A new chart released by Stop Fooling California reveals that the oil industry, including the Western States Petroleum Association, Chevron, BP and other oil companies, spent $56.63 million on lobbying at the State Capitol in the five years from 2009 through 2013. "It's enough to spend $471,000 on each California Senator and Assemblymember," according to the campaign. "It's enough to buy a gallon of $4 gas for every household in California. It's a lot of lobster dinners."

In one of the biggest conflicts of interest in recent California history, Catherine Reheis-Boyd, President of the Western States Petroleum Association, chaired the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative Blue Ribbon Task Force to create so-called "marine protected areas" in Southern California from 2009 to 2011. Under her leadership, she and other corporate interests made sure that oil industry operations, including fracking operations in Southern California waters, weren't impacted at all by the creation of "marine protected areas."

As California's drought continues, Governor Jerry Brown and other politicians continue to promote the controversial plan to build peripheral tunnels as the "solution" to California's water problems. On the other hand, the Environmental Water Caucus has released a response to the drought pointing to ways that permanently use less water and better manage the hundreds of existing dams and reservoirs that already exist.

Advocates for the restoration of Central Valley salmon and the Delta rallied with colorful signs and banners at an intersection surrounded by fields on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, urging President Obama to not support Governor Jerry Brown's peripheral tunnel plan.

On January 19, the California Environmental Water Caucus issued a press release commending the "emphasis on conservation" in Governor Brown's 20-point drought declaration, but criticized five of the points as "wolves in sheep's clothing," particularly Directive 4 that directs state agencies to expedite the processing of water transfers and Directive 9 that effectively suspends the California Environmental Water Quality Act.

The California Water Action Plan cloaks a corporate power grab in sheep's clothing, co-opting the words and strategies of the environmental movement so that Governor Brown's administration can give lucrative contracts to his business cronies.

Business owners, Native American tribes, fishing groups and environmental organizations all oppose a plan to increase the storage capacity of the Shasta Reservoir in California, saying that the plan would waste taxpayer money and cause environmental harm.

Following the adoption of anti-environmental amendments to Senate Bill 4 under intense pressure from the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) on Friday, September 6, major environmental, consumer and progressive groups are calling on Senator Fran Pavley to withdraw the bill.

On Wednesday, LA City Councilmembers Paul Koretz and Mike Bonin called for a fracking moratorium in Los Angeles at a press conference on the steps of City Hall. The Councilmembers also called on Governor Jerry Brown to listen to the majority of Californians who oppose the inherently dangerous process of fracking and impose an immediate statewide moratorium on fracking.

As opposition to fracking mushrooms in California, over one million comments have been submitted to the White House and the Bureau of Land Management urging the federal government to protect public lands from shooting chemicals and water deep into the Earth in efforts to extract natural gas.

Assemblymember Das Williams and eight other California lawmakers are calling on the Department of Interior and Environmental Protection Agency to investigate reports of fracking beneath the seabed floor off the California Coast. It's the first of what should be many investigations into the expansion of hydraulic fracturing in the Pacific Ocean.

Www.truthout.org confirmed that federal regulators approved at least two "fracking," operations on oil rigs in the Santa Barbara Channel off the coast of California since 2009 without an updated environmental review that critics say may be required by federal law. These operations were approved as state officials and corporate "environmental" NGO representatives gushed about the alleged "Yosemites of the Sea" and "underwater parks created in Southern California waters under the "leadership" of Catherine Reheis-Boyd.

It's pretty clear that the $50 billion tunnels — to be paid for by California tax payers —will only really benefit oil companies and agribusiness in the state. What's unclear, however, is the role that the tunnels will play in increased fracking, both on land and under the ocean.

In yet one more example of the revolving door between government and huge corporations that defines politics in California now, State Senator Michael Rubio (D-Bakersfield) today suddenly announced he is resigning from office in order to take a "government affairs" position at Chevron.

While the Sacramento salmon returns exceeded those of the previous year's, the state and federal governments continue to violate the landmark Central Valley Project Improvement Act, signed by President George H.W. Bush in the fall of 1992.

Don't miss the fantastic benefit concert and art auction to help the Lakota Sioux on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation on Sunday, October 28, 6 pm at California Stage, 1723 25th Street,  (25th and R), in Sacramento. The entrance is on R Street.
The benefit for KILI Radio, the Voice of the Lakota Nation, will feature music by East Bay Takojas, a traditional northern drum group, Foshang and the Jalapeno Chocolates, an Afro-Caribbean funk group, and DJ The Flower Vato Larry Rodriguez.
The silent auction will feature Sacramento and the Bay Area's finest printmakers, including Gato, Fran...