California State Legislature votes to end neighborhood drilling

September 1, 2022

After years of delays, communities in California finally win much-needed public health and safety setbacks – soon marking an end to toxic neighborhood drilling.

SACRAMENTO, CA–In response to Senate Bill 1137 passing in the California Senate, Amy Moas, Ph.D., Greenpeace USA Senior Climate Campaigner, said: “Last night, after years of organizing and struggle, California’s frontline communities won big and will soon be breathing easier. The passing of a 3200-foot public health setback in the California Legislature is a win that belongs to resilient communities who have shown that by building power year after year that clean air and a livable future are possible. Despite vicious attacks against setbacks by the fossil fuel industry for years and two previously failed bills, California will finally begin the process of ending toxic neighborhood drilling. 

“Bold leaders in the Legislature, encouraged by Governor Newsom, stood with the almost three million Californians impacted by toxic drilling, taking a step forward toward a brighter future where everyone can lead safe and healthy lives. This is an incredible moment for the entire environmental justice movement that has been a long time coming.”

All but one of Governor Newsom’s Five Climate Pillars passed the California Legislature last night, to arrive on his desk this morning. The passage of SB1137 came alongside a mix of other climate provisions including passage of new renewable energy targets for retail energy, a formal target for carbon neutrality by 2045, and a prohibition against using captured carbon for enhanced oil recovery. These advancements came alongside extending the life of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant and the establishment of a Carbon Capture, Removal, Utilization, and Storage Program. 

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Contact: Katie Nelson, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, [email protected], +1 (678) 644-1681

Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.

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