Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California Joins the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California in working to KEEP THE LAW Protecting Neighborhoods from Toxic Drilling
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California announced an endorsement from Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC). PPAC joins a growing list of supporters for the campaign, reinforcing the unified effort to KEEP an historic law (SB 1137) preventing toxic oil drilling in neighborhoods.
PPAC advocates for a future where all people have equitable access and opportunity for health and wellness in order to live full lives of their choosing. Toxic oil drilling in California communities is a serious threat to public health and reproductive health.
“Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California proudly endorses the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California and is committed to protecting the health and well-being of all Californians, especially those in vulnerable communities.” said Jodi Hicks, President and CEO of PPAC. “The current proximity of oil and gas wells to health care facilities, homes, and schools, poses significant health risks to almost three million Californians. We stand alongside diverse supporters in keeping the law to protect public health.”
Big Oil has been working to repeal a law (SB 1137) that would make existing oil and gas wells safer by meeting tighter health and environmental requirements within 3,200 feet of neighborhoods, schools, daycare centers and healthcare facilities, and keeping new wells from being built in these areas. To try and overturn this public safety law, oil companies have placed a deceptive measure on the November 2024 ballot.
Nearly 30,000 oil and gas wells in California sit within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, hospitals and other public areas, exposing nearly three million people, disproportionately communities of color, to emissions that can cause birth defects, respiratory illnesses and cancer. An independent scientific advisory panel in 2021 advised California officials that a 3,200-foot setback between oil wells and sensitive receptors is the minimum distance to protect public health.
“KEEP THE LAW” Campaign endorsers include public health groups, community and faith organizations, and environmental justice leaders from across California, working to hold oil companies accountable for creating a public health crisis, especially for communities of color.
Press Contact:Robin Swanson, robin@swansoncomm.net