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Environmental Working Group’s Bill Aillyaud on the reasons behind efforts to regulate fracking in California.
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-- -- is speaking -- promised land Californians sitting on a virtual gold mine of whale possibly one of the largest reserves in the country.
Estimates are that moderate share -- falls as much as fifteen point four billion barrels of recoverable oil just what we were talking about just now.
What does this didn't wanna do -- crack down on fracking in fact.
Is just proposed the State's first ever regulations.
Bill Lotto is California director of governmental affairs with the Environmental Working Group and he helped write these roles nice to see you again Billy thanks for coming on the show.
And tell -- welcome tell me why you thought this was necessary right now.
It's necessary because actually we've been fracking for oil in California for fifty years and our division of oil and gas the state regulatory agency.
Hasn't been doing anything about it they turned a blind eye towards that they even denied it existed.
Up until a year ago saying we don't need to -- for gas in California I kept saying we're fracking for oil.
Not gas that's the big thing California oil.
And they finally come around the -- Brad administration Governor Brown wants to do something about this I did help right these regulations may be.
I and other environmental -- influenced -- because we try to do legislation on this the last couple years.
We have the division of oil and gas is attention now and -- -- we're seeing is a sea change and culture and attitude.
They really just answered to Chevron occidental the last hundred years and now we want an answer to OK what.
Well well.
You know you talk about governor Jerry Brown he is.
-- you know not a conservative guy he has been a friend of the environment and even he says that there is no environmental damage he says the administration officials contend that.
California has some of the strictest rules currently.
About well safety in the nation fracking has not caused environmental damage.
In the Golden State used -- has been going on for fifty years there's been no problems so why is that a problem.
Well one thing is we -- nowhere anyway I was tracking the division oil and gas to require any permit for -- they don't track it.
We don't know where wells have been -- so someone found benzene or diesel fuel.
In their ground water ten years ago they would have known this and where -- this from where they went looking for it.
And that's part of the -- and one of the key things in these new regulations.
Is who we let neighbors know of these projects that fracking or -- drilling is going to occur.
The -- don't provide for that you're supposed to monitor the Internet to see if there's a notice posted that.
They're gonna -- next thirty we think people should come home to fracking without a public notice.
On any -- a lot of sense you mentioned the ground water and tin -- sticker is the state oil and gas supervisor.
Of the California division of oil gas and jima geothermal resources says there is no evidence of harm from fracking in ground water in California -- At this time and it has been going on for many years what do you think about that.
Well again we don't know -- fracking has occurred that I think we should be thankful that we don't have big cases there -- ground water pollution from oil operations but it's from their disposal operations.
The key thing here as well casing integrity right in our division oil and gas that's our bread and butter is insuring that integrity.
So if you ask -- where well -- have failed because industry says about 5% on average do fail.
And that's the case endemic West Virginia we know they failed.
They can't tell us is that -- assets on a well by well basis there's 55000.
Wells in California it's absurd that we -- adapt to try to.
Pick out wells that were casings may have failed.
You make a great point because a lot of people in the industry on the other side say the same thing that fracking in the nab itself is it dangerous and doesn't cause contamination it's when that well casing breaks.
Which is something the industry doesn't want to happen either because that means that's a waste of money.
But you know the -- the well is -- nobody wants that to happen.
So of course not get -- that's yes -- when do we need to regulate that further though because they're doing everything it can't not have the well casing cracked either no one wants.
Well let me tell you and your viewers this the industry then sells oil and gas industry and -- SEC filings say.
Fracking is inherently risky threats of spills explosion blowouts -- -- that they themselves acknowledge the risk they're using highly talked.
All drilling now is -- I mean all all drilling contains some sort of risk I mean.
Leaving here house in the morning you -- you incur risk.
Well yeah out that we don't wanna go through you know you have to hold your breath because the air is dirty we have to do the best job we can and protecting public resource is what we're saying.
Is our state agency has been biased towards the industry for waits too long even the point have until recently denying that we from fracking California so we think.
We've got and turned around the lights being shown on that the governor wants a good job and hope these regulations will be good for right now our first look -- Devoted about a couple days in draft form is -- a lot of holes in the need to be fixed.
Well I mean didn't it did to that point we have shown what you have drawn up.
To a lot of people in the industry they don't think they're particularly onerous -- it does seem like it's regulation that could make sense we'll continue this conversation of the time thanks coming on tonight we appreciate it.
You're welcome talk.
