San Benito Rising celebrated Earth Day (April 22) by submitting 4,167 petition signatures for an anti-fracking initiative.
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This initiative bans fracking, cyclic steam injection and acidizing in unincorporated areas of San Benito County where drilling has already started. The initiative also bans all oil and gas drilling in rural residential zones of the county.
San Benito Rising started collecting signatures on March 22. With the help of 79 volunteers, they collected more than twice the signatures needed to qualify their initiative for the November ballot (1,642). Kudos to all who helped!
Ohlone tribal leader, Ann Marie Sayers, led a brief ceremony evoking the aspirational wishes of those who signed the petitions (contained in baskets and red delicious apple box). The proponents of the initiative then delivered the petitions to the San Benito County Elections Office.
Mary Hsia-Coron
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