California voters in three counties will go to the polls this November to determine if fracking should be banned in their communities. But these counties could be doing more than just voting on local policy – they could be setting the tone for a statewide discussion that may come to a head on California’s 2016 ballot.
But what is fracking? Hydraulic fracturing, know commonly as fracking, is a process by which oil and gas is extracted from crevasses in the earth by inserting a liquid mixture of chemicals, sand, and water in order to fracture or break the rock formations where these resources lie. Fracking is fraught in controversy over the process’ potential to contaminate groundwater, deplete freshwater, trigger earthquakes, and create other negative environmental and health impacts. Still, the process is extremely profitable and as energy sources become more scarce, fracking has the potential to help maintain an independent U.S. energy supply.
The controversy surrounding fracking has led to its restriction and all together banning around the world. Earlier this year Santa Cruz County was the first to ban fracking and this November, voters in San Benito, Santa Barbara, and Mendocino counties will have the possibility of continuing this trend in their communities.
Measure P in Santa Barbara aims to ban fracking within county lines. Introduced by a group called the Santa Barbara County Water Guardians (http://www.sbcountywaterguardians.org/), Measure P supporters highlight the environmental and health hazards associated with the fracking process. Opponents to the measure argue that the proposition’s language can effect current onshore oil and gas extraction by other methods in Santa Barbara County and thus negatively affect the county’s job market as well as its overall economy.
San Benito County’s Measure J offers a similar option, asking voters whether or not to ban fracking operations from the county while also restricting all Petroleum Operations from working within residential land use designations. Opponents to Measure J including the San Benito County Farm Bureau argue that fracking is essential in order to sustain the economy, gain energy independence and maintain quality of life standards.
The Mendocino County proposal takes a different approach by establishing a “Community Bill of Rights” (http://www.crnofmc.org/ordinance.html) that asserts individuals’ right to a clean and chemical free environment as well as protections for the natural ecosystems of the county. Measure S would ban fracking, invalidate any and all laws contrary to the initiative, and impose harsh penalties for infractions against the bill of rights.
On the one hand, fracking operations has the potential to bring jobs and strengthen a county’s economy, strong opposition to the environmental effects of these strategies has brought the issue to the polls this November. Voters in Butte County will also have the chance to vote to ban fracking in 2016.