Gov. Newsom’s signs oil bill that threatens the health of Californians | Opinion

The toxic pollution from oil and gas drilling in Kern County is making people like my family sick, and increasing the risks of early death for community members living closest to drilling sites. As climate change increases the frequency of hot days, it spreads Valley Fever, contributes to unprecedented wildfires and threatens essential workers with extreme heat.

We need to rapidly reduce oil and gas operations to meet state climate goals and reduce local pollution.

That’s why some of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent actions came as a frustrating surprise, especially after his return from Climate Week events in New York. While he politically grandstands as the champion against President Donald Trump’s pro-fossil fuel authoritarian actions, he made a deal behind closed doors with the oil and gas industry to further endanger the residents of Kern County and our climate at large.

Senate Bill 237, signed into law by Newsom, hands Kern County to polluters on a silver platter, massively increasing the amount of oil and gas pollution by allowing up to 2,000 new drill sites annually. The bill was introduced last minute and rammed through the California Assembly with no chance for larger public input.

The move sets back California’s goals to reach carbon neutrality by 2045 and has immediate consequences for people who must live in the sacrifice zone of this pollution.

Residents in Kern County have long been subjugated to the whims of an industry whose sole purpose is to extract as many resources as possible, regardless of the ecological or public health consequences, all to line the pockets of investors and make the wealthy needlessly richer.

So how can they justify this suffering? The law is advertised as a way to stabilize energy costs for Californians by boosting drilling, but it’s doubtful if it will achieve this goal.

According to one Stanford University report, oil and gas economics, reduced demand and global market factors create a much more nuanced, complicated picture. Oil and gas refineries — like the one in El Segundo which was just rocked with a fiery explosion — are destined to close not because of a lack of drilling in California, but because of global and regional economics. On the other end, renewable energy continues to be the cheapest source of electricity and progress toward public transit and access to electric vehicles will further reduce gas demand.

Instead of helping California write the industry’s final chapter with justice and vision, Newsom risks prolonging its toxic grip. This misinformed solution and the lack of transparency to address such a pressing issue to Californians only brings growing distrust as Newsom positions himself as a potential presidential candidate.

Kern County residents will now have to face the detrimental impacts of Newsom’s political play in unprecedented ways, and the responsibility to clean up the mess will yet again be forced onto California taxpayers. Americans have their fill of political theater and dangerous executive orders coming from the White House. What we need is courage, vision and true leadership through the multiple crises converging around us.

California must double down on a planned, equitable transition away from fossil fuels by making polluters pay for the pollution they produce; investing in affordable energy; developing a just transition for skilled and trained workers; and delivering climate reparations to communities long burdened by oil’s pollution.

Gabriela Facio is Sierra Club California’s policy analyst.