Moderator: Seth B. Shonkoff, Ph.D., M.P.H., Executive Director, PSE Healthy Energy & Environmental Researcher, UC Berkeley. Dr. Shonkoff assesses the health and climate dimensions of oil and gas development in the United States and abroad. TOPIC: “The Way Forward” This panel will focus on linking the reproductive health research to policy, how we need to advance scientific inquiry, professional training, public education and health policies that reduce the impacts of environmental contaminants on reproductive and developmental health. We’ll close the last session with goals for the future and discuss the importance of creating policies that support a truly clean energy future. SPEAKER BIO: Rachel Morello-Frosch, PhD, MPH, Professor, Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California – Berkeley. Dr. Morello-Frosch’s research examines race and class determinants of environmental health among diverse communities in the US with a focus on social inequality, psychosocial stress and how these factors interact with environmental chemical exposures to produce environmental health inequalities. SPEAKER BIO: Kathryn Phillips, Director, Sierra Club, California. As Director, Kathryn leads legislative and regulatory advocacy and overall administration of Sierra Club, California. Kathryn covers or oversees coverage of nearly every environmental issue that crosses the transom at the State Capitol and in key agencies. This includes energy, transportation, wildlife, forestry, water, climate disruption, and air quality.

1. Recent State Regulatory,
Legislative and Local Action on
Fracking in California
Kathryn Phillips
Director, Sierra Club California
Kathryn.phillips@sierraclub.org

2. Fracking/Well Stim Basics in California
• Fracking and well stimulation used mostly for oil extraction in
California. Referred to as extreme oil extraction methods.
• About 84,000 oil wells in California; about 3,000 extreme
extraction wells in California (low estimate).
• About 200 million barrels of oil produced annually; extreme
extraction accounts for about 20 percent.
• Some occurs in urban Los Angeles City/County; most occurs in
Southern San Joaquin Valley (Kern County).

3. Oil and Gas Wells in California

4. Public Opinion
Public Policy Institute of California
• July 2013—51% of adult Californians oppose fracking
• July 2014—54% of adult Californians oppose fracking
FM3 Poll for Sierra Club
• May 2014—68% support a fracking moratorium bill

5. Regulators
State Level:
• Division of Oil Gas & Geothermal Resources (DOGGR)
• State Water Resources Control Board
• Air Resources Board
Local Level:
• Local air districts
• Local water boards

6. Policymakers (Deciders)
State:
• State legislature
• Governor
Local
• County Board of Supervisors
• City Councils
• Voters (ballot measures)

7. Legislative Action
Senate Bill 4:
• Passed in 2013
• Requires DOGGR to develop a permitting system for fracking/well
stimulation
• Requires DOGGR to prepare a programmatic environmental impact
report
• Directs DOGGR, Air Board, Water Board to do better data collecting,
monitoring
• Directs Natural Resources Agency to do a study on the impacts of
fracking/well stimulation (study expected to be completed in July
2015)

8. Legislative Action (cont.)
Moratorium bills
• Attempted twice, failed to pass first house both times
Redefining DOGGR
• One bill moving through legislature now
Beefing up other regulations
• Injection well regulatory bill moving through legislature now
• Open pit regulatory bill moving through the legislature now

9. Local Action
Ballot Measures:
• Santa Barbara County fracking ban—failed
• San Benito County fracking ban—passed
• La Habra Heights—failed
Local Ordinances & Resolutions:
• About 15 city or county resolutions (includes a few ordinances)
• Most recent is Butte County ordinance banning importation or
disposal of fracking waste

10. Legal Challenges
• 2013 multi-organization challenge to environmental review
practices of DOGGR (thrown out by court)
• 2015 new challenge to DOGGR re underground injection wells

11. On Horizon
• Programmatic EIR
• New data/monitoring recommendations by state water board
• Additional lawsuits
• Additional local efforts
• Release of the scientific study required by SB 4 (July 2015)
• Other

12. Thank You
Contact Info:
Kathryn Phillips
Director, Sierra Club California
909 12th Street, Suite 202
Sacramento, CA 95814
Kathryn.phillips@sierraclub.org
Ph.: 916-557-1102