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Fracking in Our Backyards
June 7, 2013
After learning about the environmental and health consequences of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in states east of California, many of us are doubtful that fracking could ever be compatible with our local agricultural and tourism economy, and with our way of life.
This meeting will provide information about fracking in our area, and promote a discussion about what we can do to protect our community from the consequences of fracking (beyond supporting stronger fracking regulations).
BACKGROUND:
Fracking has arrived in our community. The oil & gas industry is eager to exploit California’s vast Monterey Shale formation which holds 2/3 of our country’s shale oil reserve. See NY Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/us/vast-oil-reserve-may-now-be-within-reach-and-battle-heats-up.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
There are a number of oil/gas wells scattered around San Benito county, shown on the Calif. Dept of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) map. See the north county wells here https://sites.google.com/site/aromascares/doggr-oil-wells-north-county, and south county wells here https://sites.google.com/site/aromascares/north-county-oil-well-map. Look at the legend for “Active Injector” wells (in Tar Creek and New Idria area). This DOGGR map summarizes the Active Injector wells in California http://maps.conservation.ca.gov/domsnotice/doms-app.html. Currently, DOGGR has a voluntary reporting system, so some existing wells are not shown in these maps.
The Independent Petroleum Association of America states that over 90% of vertical and horizontal oil and gas wells nationwide now require some form of hydraulic fracturing, which greatly enhances the productivity of wells (http://www.oilandgasbmps.org/resources/fracing.php). Halliburton reports that “nearly nine out of 10 onshore wells – natural gas and oil – require fracture stimulation to remain or become viable” (http://www.halliburton.com/public/projects/pubsdata/Hydraulic_Fracturing/fracturing_101.html). In short, fracking has become a pervasive technique in recent years for extracting oil and gas resources that are harder to reach.
In June 2012, Graniterock contracted with an oil and gas exploration company to survey the Aromas area. This alarmed many Aromas residents who formed a group, Aromas Cares for Our Environment (ACE). The ACE group have done an excellent job of researching the location of oil/gas wells in our region, documenting local fracking info on their web site, and working with San Benito County supervisors to draft stronger (local) oil and gas regulations.
