Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California Launches Million-Dollar Campaign in Sacramento to Counter $60 Million Effort from Big Oil
Campaign To KEEP THE LAW Protecting Neighborhoods from Toxic Oil Drilling Raises Concerns About $60 Million Big Oil Effort Targeting Legislators and Voters to Overturn or Undermine Law Through Last-Minute Backroom Deals
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California announced a $1 million ad campaign to counter a now $60 million effort from Big Oil to undermine the integrity of SB 1137, a law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom to protect communities from toxic oil drilling. The David vs. Goliath campaign includes ads featuring Governor Gavin Newson, activist Nalleli Cobo, and other leaders of the effort to KEEP the historic law preventing new toxic oil and gas drilling and making existing oil wells safer near schools, hospitals and neighborhoods. The California law finally catches the state up to other oil producing regions that have common sense health buffers from oil drilling - even Texas has statewide setback regulations in place.
“We cannot possibly match the oil industry’s tsunami of cash flooding Sacramento in their desperate attempt to keep drilling for oil near schools and neighborhoods - but we will do everything we can to tell the toxic truth about the health and cancer risks to California children and communities,” said Chris Lehman, lead campaign strategist and campaign manager for CSHC. “We are confident that no matter how much money the industry spends or what kind of legislative shenanigans they attempt to undermine California’s law to protect people’s health, we will beat them because Californians do not believe in sacrificing schoolchildren or their neighbors so Big Oil can squeeze more profits from toxic drilling in neighborhoods.”
Recent USC Dornsife poll results show 71% support for the campaign and strong backing across age, race and gender to KEEP THE LAW against toxic drilling in California communities.
Oil companies have already spent more than $60 million fighting setbacks that make existing oil and gas wells safer by meeting tighter health and environmental requirements within 3,200 feet of neighborhoods, schools, daycare centers and healthcare facilities. The law also keeps new wells from being built in these areas. To try and overturn this public safety law, oil companies spent millions to place a deceptive measure on the November 2024 ballot.
“Voters know that Big Oil is trying to overturn a historic public safety law that would protect communities from toxic drilling, and they will vote overwhelmingly to KEEP THE LAW,” said Darryl Molina Sarmiento, Executive Director of Communities for a Better Environment and Steering Committee Member of the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California. “Our broad and diverse coalition, including youth and working families living next to neighborhood drilling, will work every day until the election to ensure that voters have the information they need to protect the health and safety of our communities.”
Nearly 30,000 oil and gas wells in California sit within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, hospitals and other public areas, exposing nearly 3 million people, disproportionately communities of color, to emissions that can cause birth defects, respiratory illnesses and cancer. An independent scientific advisory panel in 2021 advised California officials that a 3,200-foot setback between oil wells and sensitive receptors is the minimum distance to protect public health.
“KEEP THE LAW” campaign endorsers include public health groups, community and faith organizations, and environmental justice leaders from across California, working to hold oil companies accountable for creating a public health crisis, especially for communities of color.
Press Contact:Robin Swanson, robin@swansoncomm.net