I worked for Chevron for 32 years in various capacities. I have a degree in geology from Stanford and in law from Santa Clara University. I am voting yes on Measure G. I am deeply disturbed by the many false and misleading claims about Measure G appearing in ads, flyers, and on signs paid for by the oil company-funded opposition to the measure—opposition that resides almost entirely outside of our county. These claims are not true. Measure G would not shut down any existing production. It specifically permits it to continue. Measure G would not prevent routine maintenance. It specifically provides that routine maintenance may continue. And the measure’s definition of routine maintenance is very broad. G is not an oil production “shutdown.” Measure G will ban fracking (which is a genuine threat to our groundwater supplies) and ban new oil development on private lands in SLO County (which is consistent with county plans for the future and protective of one of California’s most beautiful environments). Don’t be fooled by the $8 million oil industry campaign to defeat G. Join me in voting yes.
Steven Schneider
Arroyo Grande
This article appears in San Luis Obispo County’s News and Entertainment Weekly.
As a “geologist”, I figured Mr. Schneider would be a little more informed about the lack of fracking in our county. It does not exist, and will not exist because the producing reservoirs in SLO County make fracking GEOLOGICALLY unnecessary.
I also find the vague nature of his opinion to be unconvincing. Seems to be more of a copy and paste directly off of the yes on G talking points with no substantive discussion.
Be informed. Vote NO on G.
VOTE – YESonMeasureG.org — Big Oil lies are intended to deceive you – learn the TRUTH
The TRUTH is Yes on Measure G allows existing oil operations to continue for as long as the operators want.
The TRUTH is YES on Measure G allows all routine well maintenance as defined by State rules and regulations, including use of acids for maintenance only.
The TRUTH is YES on Measure G bans new oil drilling and future fracking in SLO County.
The TRUTH is YES on Measure G takes a huge step toward protecting our groundwater resources.
The TRUTH is our county water basins are in overdraft and the central coast drought continues. We need our water for more important needs than new oil wells.
The TRUTH is BIG OIL has plans to expand in SLO county by 481 new oil and waste injection wells. Oil operations remove 500,000,000 gallons of water from SLO county aquifers every year do we want that to grow?
The TRUTH is 120,000 gallons of toxic waste-water is injected into our drinking water aquifers every day in SLO county do we want that to grow?
The TRUTH is YES on Measure G helps by reducing a planned increase in greenhouse gas emissions associated with expanded oil drilling. SLO county oil fields extracts one of the most carbon intensive oils on Earth. Every year 100,000 metric tons of CO2 is generated by Big Oil extraction in our county do we want that to grow?
The TRUTH is Big Oil wants to greatly expand the number of wells in our county and allow for a future of fracking. More water wasted and more risk of water contamination is what we face if YES on Measure G is not successful.
It is a bold lie to claim fracking routinely harms well water.
We all use petroleum products and only selfish nimbys vote to have things they want and use only suffered by others.
It is also a LIE to say 120,000 gallons of waste water is injected into the aquifer we draw drinking water from.
Only a court action can determine IF the measure will allow continued production and maintenance.
If you drive a car or use petroleum products vote NO on G
Richard Ferris, if you want to talk about bold lies, talk about how the vote no on G folks keep blatantly lying. Read the darn thing! Fracking has ruined more wells than not and we just have to stop gambling with what little water we have left! Talk about lies, how ’bout the funders of NO on G? They have known for years that their form of energy has been destroying the planet and they want it to continue….There have been other means of energy over the years…..good ones that were sustainable and seems the people who attempt to contribute them to us get killed or slip away into the night. What we don’t need is oil wells being drilled in this county! Plenty of oil in Texas and Oklahoma.
As a forensic psychologist I was asked by the court to do evaluations. I found that most of my colleagues perjured themselves on a regular basis as “guns for hire” of “Court Whores.” I talked to a prominent judge who told me that this was common in all professions and he listed everything from agriculture and oil to engineering. When people worship money, they are willing to say anything and if someone worships money it is certainly the big oil and gas interests. We hear from “their supporters” and as a geneticist said in the first DNA case in California when called out by the prosecution witness in the hallway said, “You don’t know how much I am being paid.” This same gun for hire was teaching exactly the opposite to his students at UC.
The no on G guys say that there is no fracking and never will be. Then why does It bother you. If it’s not going to happen , what difference does it make? I find that a very thin argument.
It’s pretty simple James. If this measure was only about fracking, there probably wouldn’t be push back. It’s the BAN on new wells and the poorly written measure that effectively eliminates the ability to continue production that poses the major problem. That’s why all the adds say “it goes too far”.
Another way of looking at it is this: If there is no fracking, why are the measure G proponents so hell bent on banning it? I would argue that it is because their motives are to eliminate all oil production, not just ban fracking. Fracking seems to be a useless part of the measure on both sides. So all we are left with is the unconstitutional taking of mineral rights via the banning of expansion and extension of current production.
I’m voting NO on G because a yes vote is a lose-lose for the taxpayers.
So we can ignore small business for the big business of Ag and Tourism in the county? Interesting perspective.
Somehow I doubt you are actually interested in or concerned about those employees that will lose their jobs. Saying “let’s just train them” seems to be an over simplification and is overall disingenuous.
Ag does need water. How is current oil and gas production impacting that? Where is the water contamination? The oil zone being produced does not have usable water. Additionally, all of the wells in the surrounding area have been monitored and have exactly 0 (zero) contamination.
So saying “let’s protect our water” when water is not at risk is nothing more than a scare tactic.
Talking about the financial liability of the county, however, happens to be something based in reality and is also listed in that fiscal impact report. Monterey County got to waste a million dollars by passing an unconstitutional measure. It went to court and got overturned. Let’s not be the definition of insanity and do the same thing expecting different results.
Vote NO on G.