Anti-Fracking Initiative Qualifies for the November 2016 Ballot

The letter from the Monterey County Elections Office is below:

---------- Message from Monterey County Elections Office ----------

From: Valenzuela, Claudio E.


Date: Wed, May 18, 2016 at 4:40 PM

Subject: Anti-Fracking Petition Initiative

This is to inform you that Monterey County Elections has completed the verification of signatures on the Anti-Fracking Petition Initiative.

Pursuant to Elections Code Section 9115, since the number of petition signatures exceeded 500, a random sample was drawn using a methodology so that every signature filed with Elections would have an equal opportunity of inclusion in the sample. Each petition signature selected through the random selection process was then examined against the related voter’s record of registration to determine validity. In this case, the examination process was completed and it was determined that there were sufficient signatures to warrant further action on the petition.

We plan to deliver the certified results to the Board of Supervisors during their scheduled meeting June 1st, 2016.



Cordially,

Claudio Valenzuela, REO
Registrar of Voters
Monterey County Elections
1370 B South Main St.
Salinas CA 93901
phone 831-796-1499
fax 831-755-5485

---------- End of message from Monterey County Elections Office ----


WHAT:

Relying on the power of over 250 volunteers, the grassroots group, Protect Monterey County, collected over 16,000 signatures for their initiative, Protect Our Water: Ban Fracking and Limit Risky Oil Operations. They were delivered to the Elections Department on May 4, 2016. This was 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.

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.


WHY:

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.


Protect Monterey County

email: info [at] protectmontereycounty.org
http://www.protectmontereycounty.org/
https://www.facebook.com/ProtectMontereyCounty/
https://twitter.com/protectmonterey