While Californians struggle to protect their families during the COVID-19 crisis, and on the same day the New York legislature and Governor Cuomo moved to ban fracking, the Newsom Administration just quietly approved 24 new fracking permits that will further threaten public health.
In November Newsom announced a temporary freeze on new fracking permits so Lawrence Livermore Lab could review the issue. The review was completed, and on April 3 the California Geologic Energy Management Division, or CalGEM, issued permits to Aera Energy, a joint venture of Shell and ExxonMobil, for “well stimulation” work in two Kern County oil fields.
Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, commented: “With the entire state shut down and kids out of school, what purpose could approving these fracking permits have now other than to do a solid for the oil industry when no one is watching.”
Add your name to tell Governor Newsom and Oil and Gas Supervisor Uduak-Joe Ntuk to
* reverse the recent decision to issue fracking permits
* halt the issuance of all additional oil/gas extraction permits
* prioritize protecting public health.