This year, APEN, CBE, CEJA, CRPE, PSR-LA lead the coalition to deliver a resounding defeat of the fossil fuel industry’s attempt to fight health and safety buffer zones from oil and gas at the ballot box.
Today, Senator Lena Gonzalez led the California legislature to allocate $14.8 million dollars to state regulatory agencies to implement oil and gas setbacks across the state within the next three years. This landmark policy will finally provide the means to put SB 1137 into action, providing the the strongestest protections for communities living near oil and gas drilling in the country. After decades of advocacy from frontline environmental justice communities, this represents a tangible, solid step towards a clean energy future and away from the deadly health impacts of fossil fuels. a clean energy future and away from the deadly health impacts of fossil fuels.
Currently, there are nearly 30,000 oil wells within a 3200 feet of of homes, schools, and other sensitive areas. This exposes 2.7 million Californians to toxic pollution, nearly 70% communities of color,resulting in devastating health impacts.
Over half a million of those residents are children.
The public demand for healthy communities is clear. CEJA is glad to see Governor Newsom following through on his promises of California climate leadership with this funding.
Oil and gas wells have overwhelmingly sacrificed the health and safety of under-resourced communities and communities of color. But we know that by being the closest to those problems, we are the closest to solutions. . It’s due to the urgency and advocacy of environmental justice communities that California can celebrate this victory over Big Oil today.
We look forward to the state continuing to partner with communities who live at the frontline of oil and gas facilities, and working with us to implement SB 1137 at its fullest strength.