Das Williams and other coastal legislators call for federal protection of sensitive ecosystems

by Brian Leubitz

The Assembly is back in session, but sometimes the important part of the job isn’t actually legislation. In a letter to the EPA and Dept. of Interior, several legislators are calling for more regulation on offshore fracking:

Assemblyman Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) wrote the letter signed by seven other state legislators and sent to the the Department of Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The lawmakers call for federal officials to consider new regulations for fracking under the seabed.

“Hydraulic fracturing poses great potential dangers to our sea life and all California residents,” Williams said. “This controversial well-stimulation technique needs greater scrutiny, particularly when it potentially jeopardizes our coastal way of life.” (LAT)

The letter was also signed by Sens. Pavley, Evans, and Jackson, and Asms. Stone, Levine, Bloom, Nazarian and Wieckowski.

Now, this isn’t the same thing as doing the important work of actually getting some solid legislation on fracking passed. That needs to happen ASAP, and while Sen. Pavley and other have had a bit of a rocky time of that, it is still yet possible to happen before the next election.