For almost ten years California communities have fought for regulations to protect their families from oil production. The safety of our health and that of our children should be a given, but the truth is, for many that is far from the reality they live in.
The oil industry has been allowed to partake in drilling practices that have proven to be dangerous. Scientists have confirmed that a distance of 3200 feet is the minimum safe distance between oil extraction sites and nearby communities, and yet oil drilling continues to take place right next to our schools, hospitals, and residential areas.
This constant exposure to oil drilling has been proven to cause serious health issues. I myself am proof of that, having grown up in a community where childhood asthma and other chronic health conditions as a result of nearby oil drilling are commonplace.
Despite the undeniable proof that what they’re doing is causing serious harm to millions of Californians across the state, the oil and gas industry has pushed back time and again on any attempt to protect ourselves. To them, our lives and well-being are not worth the pay cut.
We’re tired of having to fight Big Oil over our right to clean air just so they can make even more money off of the safety and well-being of our families. But we haven’t given up hope. We’ve achieved so much in the past few years thanks to support from both local communities and Clean Water Action supporters. But we still have a long way to go, and we have no intention of stopping until all Californians are safe.
