ED MITCHELL and TOM SHIELDS

In response to the Yes Protect our Water – Ban Fracking initiative coming before the voters in November, representatives of the fracking industry have claimed on TV and radio that oil companies in California are subject to the strictest regulations in America.

But the quality of protection that the public receives from any set of regulations is only as good as the integrity of those who comply and the integrity of those who enforce. Unfortunately, oil and gas violations across California during the past 20 years paint a clear picture of systemic violations by oil companies and lack of enforcement by state agencies that are suppose to protect California’s drinking and irrigation water.

To prove this fact, consider a small sample of what reliable sources say about the integrity of compliance and enforcement surrounding California’s oil and gas industry.

On Nov. 14, 2014, NBC’s Bay Area Investigative Unit presented its TV report: Waste Water from Oil Fracking Injected into Clean Aquifers. The show revealed that California’s watchdog agency for oil and gas operations, DOGGR, failed to stop oil companies from injecting contaminated fracking water into federally protected potable-water aquifers.

An Associated Press article released Feb. 5, 2015, stated that “regulators in California … have authorized oil companies to inject production fluids and waste into what are now federally protected aquifers, more than 2,500 times, risking contamination of underground water supplies that could be used for drinking water or irrigation, state records show.”

In a Feb 6, 2015 letter to the US EPA, DOGGR, “ … acknowledges that in the past it has approved UIC [underground injection] projects in zones with aquifers lacking exemptions.” In its March 2, 2015 letter to the Governor’s office, the California EPA admitted, “ … the State has identified approximately 2,500 wastewater disposal and enhanced oil recovery wells injecting into potentially non-exempt zones, 2,100 of which are still active.” This lack of integrity in complying and enforcing has occurred despite federal law that is intended to protect high quality drinking and irrigation water. Thirty-five such wells are in the Salinas Valley.

March 15, 2015, the Los Angles Times reported, “The Federal EPA has called the state's errors “shocking” and said California's oil field wastewater injection program does not comply with the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act.” Additionally The Times reported, “Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) called the division's failings ‘endemic’ ” and “just reading background materials to prepare for Tuesday's hearing caused her blood pressure to soar. There has been a serious imbalance between the role of regulating the oil and gas industry and the role of protecting the public … ”

The response by DOGGR since being caught not protecting the public was to close 33 of 2,100 injection wells by Oct. 15, 2015. The others remain active.

June 3, 2015, Kern County Farmers filed in federal court a RICO lawsuit against the governor and oil companies. “The civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations complaint alleges that Governor Jerry Brown's office ordered the California Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) to approve permits to inject contaminated water in violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act.”

Continued lack of compliance and enforcement to protect California water sources is clear and the fracking industry does not care. But if you do care about protecting our local water, citizens and industries that depend upon drinking and irrigation water – then vote yes on Measure Z to ban fracking in Monterey County.

Ed Mitchell and Tom Shields are longtime North County residents.