Central Coast congressman’s bill would delay oil, gas fracking on ‘precious public lands’
U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal introduced a bill to the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday that aims to delay new oil and gas fracking on public lands by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
The California Land Protection Act would require the BLM’s Bakersfield field office to complete a new environmental impact statement before it can issue new oil and gas leases. The Bakersfield office encompasses areas of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Kern, Kings, Ventura, Tulare, Fresno and Madera counties.
According to a news release Monday, the bill is a response to a move by the administration of former President Donald Trump in December 2020 to allow the BLM to pursue oil and gas leasing on more than 1.2 million acres of California land — including areas of San Luis Obispo County — after a five -year moratorium.
Carbajal introduced the bill with two other California Democrats, co-sponsors Rep. Julia Brownley and Rep. Jimmy Panetta.
“The Central Coast boasts some of the most beautiful natural treasures in the country and pursuing fracking or oil and gas leasing on public land will only hurt our environment, public health, and recreation economy,” Carbajal said in a statement. “Our public land is not for sale. I’m proud to partner with my Central Coast colleagues to prevent the Bureau of Land Management from exploiting the environment to line the pockets of the oil industry.”
The Bakersfield BLM office has a environmental impact statement released in 2019 that found fracking of oil and gas resources on public lands and federal minerals within its planning area did not have a notable increase in total impacts on the environment.
In hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, drillers shoot a high-pressure stream of water or other chemicals into rock in order to crack it open to extract the oil or gas within.
Should Carbajal’s bill be passed, the Bakersfield BLM office would have to complete a new environmental impact statement, and then have it approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The new environmental impact statement must include an analysis of all oil and gas development within the Bakersfield BLM office’s planning area, including the effects on air quality, groundwater quality, wildlife and low-income communities, according to Carbajal’s proposed bill.
If the evaluation finds adverse impacts, the BLM cannot move forward with new drilling and development.
Additionally, under Carbajal’s new bill, if the EPA finds a significant environmental impact or determines there is insufficient information in the impact statement, the Bakersfield BLM office would have to consult with the administrator of the EPA before taking any action to proceed with oil and gas leasing.
Carbajal introduced the same bill in 2020, but it died in the House subcommittee on energy and mineral resources.
The California Land Protection Act would not impact proposed oil and gas drilling at Carrizo Plain National Monument or any areas in Los Padres National Forest, as those areas are under different management plans.
President Biden suspends new oil, gas leases on public lands
Carbajal’s bill comes shortly after President Joe Biden’s administration suspended new oil and gas leasing and drilling permits on public lands and waters for 60 days.
That suspension, signed under an order by acting Interior Secretary Scott de la Vega, went into effect immediately on Jan. 20.
Active oil and gas leases won’t come to a halt due to the order. However, it does block the approval of new mining plans, land sales or exchanges and the hiring of senior-level staff at the agency.
“The Biden-Harris administration has already made clear its commitment to reversing dangerous Trump administration policies that have threatened our nation’s public lands,” read a news release sent by Carbajal’s office on Monday. “Congressman Carbajal and his California colleagues look forward to working with the Biden-Harris administration to preserve our precious public lands.”
Carbajal, a three-term California congressman, won re-election in 2020. He represents California’s 24th congressional district, which encompasses San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties as well as part of northern Ventura County.
This story was originally published January 26, 2021 at 12:30 PM.
