Culver City Observer -

LA City Council Votes For Stronger Fracking Regulations

The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved Councilmember Bernard C. Parks’ resolution Tuesday night asking for tougher regulations regarding fracking activities..

The resolution shows that Los Angeles supports Senate Bill 4 (Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills), which calls for stricter regulations and un-biased studies to be conducted before fracking is allowed to take place in communities. Last year, the Culver City Council approved to impose a ban on fracking until regulations have been adopted.

The Assembly Appropriations Committee voted 12-5 on August 30 to approve Senate Bill 4 clearing the way for the full Assembly to approve regulations for hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”), acidizing and other unregulated oilfield practices. The Assembly vote date is pending.

Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is a method of extracting petroleum and gas used for energy from rock layers and shale, and may pose public health risks and lead to property damage, contaminated air and groundwater, and increased seismicity which may trigger earthquakes. Current fracking operations may compromise the health and wellbeing of nearby residents in and around the communities of Baldwin Hills, Inglewood, and Culver City.

The bill requires that chemicals used in the process -- such as formaldehyde, acetic acids, citric acids and boric acids -- be disclosed even in cases when the mixture is subject to "trade secret" protections.

The proposed language in the bill would also require a scientific study be conducted to determine fracking's seismic impacts, environmental impact reviews on proposed fracking activity, full disclosure of community and employee health concerns and a public input process for issuing permits to oil and natural gas companies.