SANTA CRUZ, Calif.— The California Coastal Commission is scheduled to vote Thursday on a proposal to allow offshore fracking at Platform Gilda off the Southern California coast. This is the first fracking proposal off California in more than a decade.
Environmental organizations and community members will rally before the commission meeting at the Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley. Representatives will urge the Coastal Commission to object to DCOR, LLC’s request to frack from multiple wells off Platform Gilda on the Ventura coast.
“The commission has been an admirable defender of California’s precious coastline and I’m confident it’ll continue that legacy and stand against this bid to frack in our ocean,” said Brady Bradshaw, a senior oceans campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Fracking would only prolong and amplify the risks of offshore drilling. What we actually need for a healthy ocean is to shut down offshore platforms entirely.”
“Platform Gilda has been operating for roughly 45 years, beyond its anticipated life span,” said Maggie Hall, deputy chief counsel of the Environmental Defense Center in Santa Barbara. “This project would further extend production at Platform Gilda, threatening the coast with the risk of more oil spills and toxic fracking chemicals in the ocean.”
What: Rally to oppose offshore fracking before a Coastal Commission hearing on fracking off the California coast. Attendees will gather with banners and signs near the entry to the highway before the meeting and speakers will deliver remarks. Visuals will include ocean art and props, signs and a banner saying, “Don’t Frack California’s Ocean.”
When: Thursday, August 13. Rally and speakers at 8:15 a.m. Commission meeting begins at 9 a.m.
Where: Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley, 6001 La Madrona Dr., Santa Cruz, CA 95060. The rally will be held at the intersection of La Madrona Drive and Mt. Hermon Road, followed by a short march to the hotel parking lot.
Who:
- Brady Bradshaw, senior oceans campaigner, Center for Biological Diversity
- Maggie Hall, deputy chief counsel, Environmental Defense Center
- Katie Thompson, executive director, Save our Shores
- Jennifer Savage, California policy associate director, Surfrider Foundation
Rally speakers will be available before and after the meeting.
Background
In March, DCOR, LLC submitted a proposal to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to use fracking at 16 wells at Platform Gilda off the coast of Ventura County.
A federal court order prohibits fracking in California waters unless the federal government complies with environmental laws and conducts a rigorous review. Extreme forms of drilling like fracking pose significant risks to marine life, human health and the Earth’s climate.
