California Residents Deliver 90,000+ Comments Opposing Trump’s Drilling Plan

Bakersfield, CA -- Environmental and community groups gather in Bakersfield today to oppose  the Trump administration’s draft plan to open more than a million acres of public land and mineral estate in central California to oil drilling and fracking.

Last month, the Bureau of Land Management chose not to enter any oral comments into the official record opposing this plan during a public hearing. The agency also refused to translate proceedings for non-English speaking residents who live near areas that would be open to oil and gas leasing. Central Valley residents rallied at the BLM’s Bakersfield office and delivered more than 90,000 public comments opposed to Trump’s drilling plan.

Public comments were delivered by the Central California Environmental Justice Network (CCEJN), the Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Los Padres Forest Watch, Friends of the Earth, and Clean Water Action.

Photos from today’s delivery will be available here.

“In order to protect the residents and the surrounding environment, we have to acknowledge that there is a problem. That problem is the pollution among other issues arise from current oil and gas operations. There is groundwater contamination, there is air pollution, and there is a destruction of habitat here in the Central Valley,” said Elizabeth Perez, CCEJN Community Worker. “Allowing the BLM to open more land to the possibility of oil and gas operations, allows for the opening of more pollution in this world. Pollution that we do not need. Pollution that would cause adverse health effects and damage nature that many of us are working so hard to restore and protect.”  

“I have experience with the issues that come with living near oil and gas since I came to Arvin,” said Arvin resident Francisco Gonzalez. “I want to know what it will cost me and my neighbors for BLM to pay attention and take action. My block was evacuated because of a gas leak. My neighbors and I deal with the health problems daily. Even with all of this, this administration wants to add more oil? How many more people have to become victims before action is taken? We must protect our public lands."

“We do not have oil wells in the city of Fresno, yet our air quality is so bad. How much worse is it going to be if they open public lands to oil drilling?” said Ernesto Vasquez, Edison High student and Southwest Fresno resident. “I am 16 years old and I am here representing the children and youth who call Fresno home and who will be left with the consequences of the wrong decisions that Trump and the people who work for him are making.”

“It is sad that the Trump administration has no concern about climate chaos. Rather than directing BLM to protect our desert lands, they are sacrificing clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and earthquake safety, all to drill for more fossil fuels and worsen the climate crisis,” said Ron Martin, Sierra Club Tehipite Chapter and President of Fresnans against Fracking. “Fresnans are concerned about plans to expand fracking here in our San Joaquin Valley, and are eager to register our opposition to this misguided plan to frack and burn more oil.”

“Californians are sick and tired of dirty oil and gas extraction jeopardizing their health and the planet’s future,” said Candice Kim, climate campaign director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “That’s why they’re flooding the Bureau of Land Management with comments fiercely opposing turning over these public lands to fossil fuel companies. We’re in a climate emergency, and Trump’s reckless drilling plan would throw more gasoline on the fire.”