An @insideclimate analysis of data collected by CA oil & gas regulators shows 100s of millions of gallons of freshwater that could supply cities and farms is being used to extract #FossilFuels—which exacerbate #drought. New from @paldhous and me. 1/7 insideclimatenews.org/news/18092022/…
But that figure may be higher. A 2014 CA law aimed to overhaul the oil & gas industry’s water-use reporting to keep tabs on excessive use. But as @paldhous' analysis found [code here bit.ly/3QVDJkj], the data is too error-strewn to do what the law intended. 2/7
Problems revealed by ICN reinforce earlier complaints about CA regulators’ data. A @CCSTorg report gave “pages upon pages” of recommendations to better serve the intent of the law, said lead author @DrLFeinsten. “I don’t think they’ve done a single one.” 3/7
Without accurate data, it’s impossible to tell whether the oil industry is using excessive amounts of freshwater in a drought-stricken state—the reason legislators required expanded reporting in the first place. 4/7 #drought #SB1281
Former state @SenatorPavley authored #SB1281 during the last #drought “to provide at least transparency to the oil industry’s water usage.” Careful monitoring, reporting and oversight by regulators, she said, “are essential.” 5/7
Meanwhile, >1 million California residents lack access to safe, affordable drinking water, even though the state calls it a human right. At the same time, oil industry disposal practices have polluted groundwater needed for cities and farms. 6/7
That’s why community advocates say they’ll keep fighting to hold regulators accountable, to make sure oil companies’ wastewater stays away from protected groundwater and good, clean water goes to communities in need. /end #EnvironmentalJustice
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