Only Porter and Steyer Would Spare Central Valley from More Oil Extraction…and Air Pollution

With ballots already in the mail and televised debates between the candidates already over, this may be the last check-in on the positions taken for the major candidates for governor. Last week, Streetsblog discussed the candidates’ answers to debate questions on the future of high-speed rail and cutting or suspending the state’s gas tax. This week’s topic is expanding the state’s oil and gas extraction.

When constrained to just answering “yes” or “no” at last week’s debate to a question on whether they would sign legislation to open more of Kern County in the Central Valley to oil production, only former Congressmember Katie Porter and Tom Steyer answered “no.” Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Congressmember Xavier Becerra, Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco, San José Mayor Matt Mahan, and former Fox News personality Steve Hilton all answered “yes.”

Not all “yes’s” are equal. Hilton went well beyond just answering in the affirmative, and went on a rant claiming the governor doesn’t need legislative support to change decades of state environmental policy. Mahan also over-used his time call for re-opening more oil refineries.

Despite California’s stated goal of converting to cleaner cars, it’s hardly a hypothetical that legislation to increase the amounts of oil and gas extraction could find its way to a future governor’s desk. Just last year, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 273 which already expanded oil and gas exploration and drilling in Kern County. Whether Nolan or any of the candidates was aware of this legislation is unknown.

A coalition of environmental groups warned last year that opening the land for extraction would “…open the door to even more life-threatening pollution in some of the most polluted communities in the country, while locking in decades of climate disasters across the state.” A recent report by the American Lung Association ranked Bakersfield, the largest city in Kern County, as the U.S. city with both the highest year-round small particle pollution and the highest short-term particle pollution, both of which they attribute to oil and gas drilling and extraction. 

Transcript from Last Week’s Debate

Nolan: You have four to six weeks left of fuel if the Iranian war continues. Now, if a bill comes before you, I want to know, do you sign it, or do you veto it? And this bill would be whether to seek an increase in oil production in Kern County in the Central Valley. The governor of this state was not a big fan of oil. He’s actually changed his tune a little bit on that. Yes or no, this is the bill. Do you sign or do you veto it? 

Mayor Villaraigosa?

Villaraigosa: Yes. 

Nolan: Congresswoman Porter? 

Porter: Can you repeat the question? 

Nolan: So would you advocate for an increase in oil production in the state. Western States Petroleum…

Porter: No… No.

Nolan: Very good. Sheriff Bianco? 

Bianco: Absolutely. 

Nolan: Mr. Hilton? 

Hilton: We don’t need a bill. I’ll get it done directly as governor by instructing the California Department geologic and energy management to…

Nolan: Yes or no?

Hilton: This is the problem with Democrats. Endless legislation instead of just getting the job done…

Nolan: We’re going to veto it next time. Mr. Steyer. 

Steyer: No.

Nolan: All right, Secretary Becerra

Becerra:  Versus importing? Yes. 

Nolan: Mayor Mahan? 

Mahan: Yes. We also should stop pushing all of our refining capacity out of state and importing dirtier oil from thousands of miles away. It doesn’t make sense.