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Group to Submit Petitions for Anti-Fracking Initiative to Monterey County Elections Office

by via Protect Monterey County
Relying on the power of over 250 volunteers, the grassroots group, Protect Monterey County, has collected over 15,000 signatures for their initiative, Protect Our Water: Ban Fracking and Limit Risky Oil Operations. This is more than double the number of signatures required to qualify the initiative for the November 2016 ballot (7,391 signatures). No paid signature gatherers were employed in this seven week effort. This historic petition drive has engaged more volunteers than any other countywide initiative in recent memory. Photo: Luana of Protect Monterey County stacking petitions.
sm_luana__stacking_fracking_petitions_protect_monterey_county.jpg
Petition volunteers had to overcome unexpected barriers during the petition collection process. Shopping centers and farmers markets are no longer as welcoming to petition gatherers exercising their first amendment rights in the public sphere.

This initiative was drafted by a coalition of concerned citizens (representing Salinas Valley and Monterey Peninsula) with the help of the renowned environmental law firm, Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger.

Monterey County is one of the few oil producing counties in California that does not have specific regulations and permitting process for oil and gas operations. For decades, Monterey County has issued “blanket” use permits to oil operators, allowing them to drill unlimited numbers of wells with little County oversight or environmental review.

In 2008, Monterey County allowed Venoco to use fracking and acidizing in the Bradley area, near the Salinas River. In 2014, over 1800 residents petitioned Monterey County officials to protect their community from dangerous oil and gas operations. In response, the Monterey Planning Commission recommended that the County adopt a moratorium on fracking and acid stimulation, and also draft oil and gas regulations like that of neighboring counties. In 2015, Monterey County Supervisors rejected the recommendations of its Planning Commission.

Recently, the Central Coast Water Quality Board notified several Monterey County oil companies that they are illegally injecting wastewater into protected aquifers of the Salinas River Groundwater Basin, which supplies water to many Salinas Valley farms and cities.

Both Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties have banned fracking and dangerous oil operations. It’s time for Monterey County to do the same. If our elected officials won’t protect our water and health, our only recourse is to pass a citizen’s initiative that will.


There will be a press conference to announce the submittal of petitions for the anti-fracking initiative to the Monterey County Elections Office.


PRESS CONFERENCE SPEAKERS:

Initiative Proponents: Dr. Don King, Dr. Laura Solorio, Madeleine Clark

Business Leader: Cindy Walter, owner of Passionfish Restaurant

Youth Leaders: Corin Nunnelley of CSUMB and Cassandra Palmeno of MPC

Spanish Language Speakers: Demetrio Pruneda & Margaret Rebecchi


Q&A PERIOD:

Jeanne Turner will answer questions about the gathering of petition signatures

Robert Frischmuth will answer questions about the Protect Monterey County Initiative

Andy Hsia-Coron will answer questions about initiatives in other counties and legal matters


After the press conference (11:25 am) PMC members will depart for Monterey County Elections Office (1370 S Main St, Salinas, CA 93901) to deliver the boxes of signed petitions.


WHEN:
May 4 at 10:30 am

WHERE:
Creekside Terrace Trailhead (Ft. Ord Public Land)
Drive to the end of Creekside Terrace Rd., Salinas, CA 93908


Protect Monterey County
http://www.protectmontereycounty.org/
§Mary of Protect Monterey County counting petition signatures
by via Protect Monterey County
sm_mary_counting_anti-fracking_signatures_protect_monterey_county.jpg
§
by via Protect Monterey County
sm_protect_monterey_county.jpg
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