Is California Really Ending Fracking?

A boy plays basketball in front of an oil well that is covered with large colorful flowers and is located next to Beverly Hills High School. Wells like this are hidden throughout Los Angeles. Photo by Sarah Craig / Faces of Fracking. In February, California’s Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM), the agency that manages oil and gas extraction in the state, formally announced its plan to phase out fracking in the state. The move came after years of campaigning by environmental and social justice groups and three years after CalGEM had essentially stopped issuing new fracking permits. While the move is an environmental justice and climate win, as always, there are some devils hiding in the details. To shine a light on those details, Earth Island Journal editor and Terra Verde-cohost Maureen Nandini Mitra speaks with Kobi Naseck, coalition director of VISION (Voices in Solidarity Against Oil in Neighborhoods). Learn more about the Big Oil-sponsored referendum that will allow drilling to continue near homes and schools. To find out if there’s a neighborhood drilling site of any kind near you, visit vision-ca.org A public hearing on the fracking rulemaking will be held at 5:30 p.m. on March 26. To offer your opinion you can register here or join by telephone: 404-443-6397 (English), ​877-336-1831 (English), Conf Code: 148676 888-455-1820 (Español), Código: 3167375 You can also email your comment to CalGEMRegulations@conservation.ca.gov The post Is California Really Ending Fracking? appeared first on KPFA.