Senator Scott Wiener, who introduced the bill with Senator Monique Limón, said: “Fracking & other destructive oil extraction methods are deeply harmful to our environment & public health,”
“They contaminate water, increase particulate in the air, & make people sick. And oil is at the heart of climate change. California must lead on climate & public health.”
The senators additionally plan to amend the bill, SB467, to include restrictions on any new oil or gas production near schools, hospitals, and places of long-term accommodation such as prisons. SB467 does mean job losses, however, includes a provision that would require the California Geologic Energy Management division to identify oil workers who have lost their jobs and help them find new work.
“If there’s not a bill, there’s not a conversation,” Limón said. “and it is necessary to have these conversations at the state level about environmental impacts and public health as oil production continues near our homes and schools.”
