In light of the Trump administration’s decision to potentially open up l.6 million acres of federal lands, including in San Luis Obispo County, to fracking and other extreme oil extraction methods, Measure G on the November ballot becomes even more important to the preservation of our county. Measure G will ban new oil and gas wells and prevent fracking on unincorporated lands within SLO County. Unfortunately, it has no authority over federal lands like Los Padres National Forest or the Carrizo National Monument. But a yes vote on Measure G and the subsequent creation of laws banning new oil and gas wells and fracking will send a strong message to federal officials to stop encouraging unwanted fracking and other extreme oil extracting methods in our fine county.
The No On G lobbyists, financed by Chevron and Sentinel Peak Energy Resources, are sharing their exaggerated “talking points,” distortions, and untruths. The core lie being that Measure G supposedly shuts down the Arroyo Grande oil field (in Price Canyon), when, in fact, the measure exempts existing oil extraction and protects existing job and taxes. Another distortion is that supposedly fracking will never happen in SLO County. However, the opposition won’t explain why in neighboring Kern County there are thousands of fracked oil wells or that fracking was attempted in Monterey Country until a federal judge intervened in 2013, stopped it, and required an environmental impact statement be prepared. Both of these counties share a similar geology with SLO county.
Now that the Trump administration is encouraging fracking and extreme extraction of new oil, the Big Oil assertion that fracking will never occur in SLO County will be put to the test. This is perfect timing for a yes on Measure G.
Charles Varni
co-chair
Coalition to Protect SLO County
This article appears in Education Today 2018.
Nobody is fracking in SLO county. This is an attempt to fix a problem that doesn’t exist.
If you are worried about the No on G lobbyists, watch out for the Yes on G Lobbyists. I posted a comment pointing out an inaccuracy in their opinions on their Facebook page. Guess what happened? THEY DELETED IT!
I encourage everyone to talk to experts. That doesn’t mean environmental lobbyists or oil lobbyists. Sort through the bias and don’t let ridiculously biased letters like this one sway your opinion. Do your own research and get specific!
Measure G is PREVENTING a problem we do not want to have. Have you heard the term “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?” The Feds are opening their lands to fracking in SLO County at the request of oil companies. Kern County is covered with fracking. Monterey had to get a Federal Court order to prevent it in 2013.
Myths about Measure G (paid for by Big Oil) — Get ready for a flood of misinfomation as Big Oil spends big on slick mailers, polls, and commercials to scare you about Measure G. Big Oil cant win on the facts, so instead it will attempt to create confusion about Measure G.
Myth: Measure G will shut down the entire oil industry in SLO County.
Fact: This is plainly false as Measure G protects all current oil jobs and tax revenue by allowing existing operations to continue. (See Sec. 2 B & C of Measure G).
Myth: Measure G will bankrupt the County with millions in legal fees.
Fact: Big Oil is trying to intimidate us by threatening to sue if Measure G passes. Six other California counties have banned fracking or stopped new oil drilling projects and those bans have all been backed up in court. Monterey Countys Measure Z, passed by 57% of voters in 2016, banned fracking and wastewater injection wells. A judge ruled the fracking ban was constitutional but that injection wells could not be regulated by the County. While the case is being appealed, Monterey County did not go bankrupt and in fact its overall budget grew during the same period. SLO Countys Measure G does not include an injection well ban.
Myth: Measure G will increase local gas prices.
Fact: Big oil is wrong again as the oil drilled in our county is sent to refineries across California and then sold on an international market.
Top Reasons to Vote YES on Measure G:
Led by local citizens concerned about the water and economy of SLO County, over 20,000 voters signed to place Measure G on the November 2018 ballot to ban fracking in our county.
G Protects our Water: Bans fracking and new extreme oil drilling projects on SLO County lands. Measure G would prevent the drilling of 481 new oil wells in the Price Canyon oil field that would generate toxic wastewater and air pollution. The drilling and wastewater could contaminate local aquifers that provide drinking water to our cities.
G Protects our Economy: Drought is the new normal and our groundwater resources are more precious than ever. Agriculture and tourism annually contribute $4 billion and 40,000 jobs to SLO County. Our vibrant economy depends on reliable and safe groundwater.
Fracking and Oil Extraction “Produced Water” waste – how much water do we want to waste in SLO County? Do we all want to buy more water from the state and pay for additional infrastructure to support county water distribution? When YES on G folks say “Protects our Economy” they not only mean helping protect our primary sources of tax and business revenue: Tourism, Agriculture, and Property Values – they also mean protecting our water and helping prevent the need to fix industrial accidents by limiting oil expansion. Say NO to Wasting Water – VOTE YES on G.
WASTE WATER… One way to think of it is literally in terms of a waterfall of toxic waste. “One of the things I think we can lose sight of is just how much produced water we are creating which is more on a per day basis than Niagara Falls has going over it in an hour,” Joel Mack, an attorney at Latham & Watkins, a firm which represents oil and gas companies,
https://www.ecowatch.com/fracking-wastewat…