DOGGR hearing TODAY in Santa Maria on injecting wastewater into aquifers

Written by
July 16, 2015

Santa Barbara County Action Network 
July 16, 2015
The State of California Department of Conservation is holding a hearing in Santa Maria TODAY, July 16, at 4 PM on its proposed regulations governing the injection of wastewater from oil drilling operations into aquifers that could be used for irrigation or for drinking water.
 
When: Thursday, July 16 from 4 PM - 7 PM
Where: Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, 511 East Lakeside Pkwy, Santa Maria
 
Here is the link to the state's notice:
And here is information about a protest being held before the hearing:
 
Subject: Protest the California Groundwater Contamination Scandal this Thursday in Santa Maria
 
Governor Brown! Shut Illegal Oil Wastewater Wells Down!
STOP DOGGR FROM DUMPING TOXIC OIL WASTE INTO SANTA BARBARA COUNTY AQUIFERS!
Protest the California Groundwater Contamination Scandal
 
When: Thursday, July 16 at 3:30 PM
Where: 511 East Lakeside Pkwy, Santa Maria
Background: In January it was discovered that the Department of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) was illegally allowing oil companies to inject oil wastewater into and through federally protected groundwater aquifers. Over 500 aquifers were involved statewide, 11 of which are in Santa Barbara County. ​See this map for locations of these wastewater injection wells.
 
Now, instead of shutting down the illegal injection wells, they are asking that the law be changed in order to allow them to continue to pollute our precious groundwater resources.
 
We need Governor Brown to shut these illegal wastewater injection wells down! Join us!
 
Please RSVP here.
Here is an LA Times article about the issue: http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-fracking-water-20150311-story.html

From the Center for Biological Diversity: ​
"​This week, DOGGR is holding hearings in Bakersfield and Santa Maria on the proposed permanent emergency regulations for injection oil waste into protected state aquifers. These are codifying the same deadlines they pushed through in the emergency regulations. They have to do this since they can’t keep renewing “emergency” regulations for two years of illegal injection. We expect these regulations will green-light wastewater injection into underground drinking water sources."
 
​For more information on this, email ​Buellton resident Rebecca August: [email protected].