Fracking and Wastewater Dumping Exposed

The Center for Biological Diversity recently called out oil companies for 200 reported offshore fracking incidents and related wastewater dumping over the past decade in Southern California waters, including in the Santa Barbara Channel. The center charges these practices pose threats to marine life and air quality. The environmental group scoured regulatory documents and companies’ disclosures to glean the information and cautioned the incidents could be higher. Offshore fracking is legal in state waters, and the dumping ​— ​the center alleges 9 billion gallons per year ​— ​is permitted in federal waters. Center officials expressed hope that the Coastal Commission, which received the report, would tighten regulations. Energy In Depth, a program tied to the California Independent Petroleum Association, responded to the report by calling the practices “strictly regulated and comprehensively permitted by numerous federal and state agencies.”