officials and residents … dedicated to supporting the thousands of men and women who work in the energy industry here in Kern County … [and] to gathering support for local energy production in order to provide local jobs, reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil and increase revenues for Kern County schools, roads and public safety...
gave her view that it’s startling to see a hostile position taken by a city with a hundred years of oil history in a county home to tens of thousands of job-holders in that industry (Arvin itself is primarily an agricultural-industry town). Leach is also President/CEO of Providence Strategic Consulting centered in nearby Bakersfield, a California Public Utilities Commission certified woman-owned “Public Relations and Communications” company —
...represent[ing] business and industry including healthcare, transportation, oil and gas, water, solar, mining and non-profits. We specialize in digital marketing and public outreach campaigns surrounding CEQA [California Environmental Quality Act ]permitting, ensuring a successful result. We have managed the Central Valley for numerous successful California ballot initiative campaigns and our company president has managed candidate campaigns at the city, county, state and federal level…
— which manages that coalition she’s founder and director of.
The ordinance imposes restrictions on how the oil and gas companies can operate near schools, parks, and neighborhoods, where local people have been experiencing direct and indirect health impacts for years as a result of diesel engine noise 24/7, fumes and odors, heavy industrial traffic on local roadways, and all the rest of the environmental impacts of the industry.
Late afternoon Tuesday, July 17, ahead of the final vote,
Christina Lopez for KVPR/National Public Radio online, reported in part:
Earlier this month, the Arvin City Council held its first public hearing with a preliminary vote on an updated oil and gas ordinance with 70-percent of the community supporting stricter regulations against the oil and gas industry within city limits.
“There were quite a few members of the community there and they spoke on both sides of the issue and the industry representatives there all objected to the ordinance as it was exempting itself from CEQA and not doing environmental review,” says Gurrola.
Currently, there are 10 to 12 active oil wells operating in {ibid.} the City of Arvin. Under the new ordinance -- which will take effect 30 to 60 days following the final vote -- the city will implement new regulations with a clear focus on the city’s public health concerns.
“What it does -- the most controversial aspect of the ordinance -- is it creates a public health buffer zone or setback so between or within 300 feet of sensitive uses, there can’t be any oil or gas operations and also within 50 t0 100 feet within streets can’t occur any gas operations. From 300 to 600 feet any oil and gas development there will trigger additional rules in respect to noise, any nuisances because it’s close to sensitive areas,” says [Jose] Gurrola...
the current mayor of Arvin, native to this agricultural-&-petrochem area, and one of the locals who’s been personally, directly impacted by having to live with under-regulated wells on their doorsteps. He disagrees about industry insiders calling the updated ordinance a ban.
“Yes, you can operate within our community but with public health and safety in mind. I think they’re the ones that are using talking points and misinformation and political attacks to call this what it isn’t ...
In the words of Leach —who probably lives in Bakersfield, not Arvin— the new ordinance makes oil and gas production “manageable” but,
“The mayor has stated he wants to ban the industry so we strongly objected to his posture toward his own home county...”
Make no mistake, this is not a slam-dunk. It’s a complex situation because jobs may be at stake, 22% of the 900,000 live below federal poverty level, and no few community service organizations for alleviating hunger, homelessness, and other struggle around the county do speak in support of the oil&gas industry, a very major donor of theirs. In addition, legal challenges are sure to materialize.
But health issues are fairly severe in this county with a majority of minority residents and awareness constantly increasing that air pollution and consequent additional pollution of soil and water play dangerous roles in a growing range of those issues (including diabetes and bleeding disorders, among a host of others). After 50 years of no correction for drastic burdens of struggle, misery, and brevity of lifespan, the people of Arvin voted to literally take the law into their own hands.
So may we all.