FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
30 April 2014

Contact: David Turnbull, Oil Change International, david [at] priceofoil [dot] org

Oil Change International response to CA Senate Environmental Quality Comm. vote on SB1132
Concerned Californians beat back Big Oil money for now

The California Senate Environmental Quality Committee voted to move SB1132, Senator Mitchell’s fracking moratorium bill, out of its committee today in a 5-2 vote (Senator Jackson was out of the room for the initial vote but is expected to vote in favor of the bill).

Analysis by Oil Change International based on its Dirty Energy Money database shows that the 2 Senators voting against the fracking moratorium received $50,050 in campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry in the last election cycle, while the 5 Senators in support of the moratorium have received a combined $7850 from industry in the same time period.

In other words, Senators voting against the moratorium today received 16 times as much in fossil fuel contributions, on average, than those Senators in support of the bill.

In response to today’s vote to move the SB1132 fracking moratorium bill forward, David Turnbull, Campaigns Director of Oil Change International released the following statement:

“Today’s vote in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee saw Big Oil and its friends face off against the voices of real Californians concerned about fracking in our state. And Big Oil lost. Despite pumping tens of thousands of dollars into the committee, the industry was unsuccessful in using its money to drown out the real and serious dangers fracking poses to our state.

But today’s vote is just one step towards stopping fracking in California and therefore safeguarding our communities today and our climate for future generations. Sacramento is bubbling over with dirty money from the oil industry, and you can be sure they’ll be throwing their weight around as this bill moves forward. But the people of California are standing up and our voices will be heard. Whether it’s stopped by the California legislature or Governor Brown, Californians will continue to raise their voices until fracking in California comes to an end.”

For more Dirty Energy Money information in the California Senate, see http://states.dirtyenergymoney.com/?CA/Upper/2012

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2 Comments

  • Fracking is a major contributor to ground water contamination and cannot be allowed onto California. Besides requiring vast amounts of precious water, cancer causing chemicals are used in the injection process that will forever be bleeding into our aquifers. We cannot allow this dangerous practice to be used in California, the bread basket of the country.

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