Controversial Sespe Fracking Project Put On Hold

Environmental activists in Ventura County received good news this week, when the U.S. Forest Service suspended a controversial proposal to hydraulically fracture 8 new oil wells and lay 8,000 feet of new pipeline in and around the pristine Sespe Wilderness.

The announcement coincides with the release of a report from California’s Department of Oil, Gas & Geothermal Resources (DOGGR), which concluded that fracking in the Sespe poses “significant and unavoidable” environmental impacts to air quality, biological resources, climate change, recreation, and worker safety.

“We’re thrilled to hear that the project has been placed on hold,” said Leif Dautch, founder of “Save the Sespe,” a grassroots environmental group dedicated to protecting open spaces in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. “While it’s too early to declare victory,” Dautch added, “the findings of DOGGR’s report leave the Forest Service with no choice but to conduct a full environmental impact study of the proposal or abandon the project entirely.”

Indeed, DOGGR’s report identifies 7 significant Class I impacts caused by fracking in the Sespe Oil Field, and an additional 12 potentially significant impacts to California condors and other wildlife, wetlands, Native American cultural sites, and greenhouse gas emissions.

“This report confirms our worst fears – that fracking in the Los Padres National Forest has caused and will continue to cause significant risks to the environment, outdoor recreation, and public health,” said Jeff Kuyper, the executive director of Los Padres ForestWatch, a nonprofit organization working to protect the Los Padres National Forest. “Consistent with the findings in this report, our national forest should be placed off-limits to fracking immediately. We cannot risk ruining this treasured landscape and threatening the water supply of downstream communities.”