Limón Authors Bill to Disclose Chemicals in Oil Drilling Operations

Assemblymember Monique Limón recently authored a bill that would require conventional oil and gas companies to issue quarterly chemical reports. The bill, AB 1328, would make the full list of chemicals available to regulators with DOGGR (Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources) and to the public.

This mandate is currently in place for unconventional drilling operations — such as fracking — in California, the third largest oil producer in the country. The state produced 201.7 million barrels of oil in 2015.

“Californians deserve to know the chemicals used in and around our communities for oil and gas extraction,” Limón said in a statement. “The same chemicals used in fracking are also present in the majority of other operations, but are not reported. Without transparent chemical information we cannot work to reduce any of the environmental, occupational and public health hazards and risks associated with oil and gas extraction.” The bill passed the Natural Resources committee and is headed to Appropriations. Unsurprisingly, the effort faces opposition from several oil associations, including Western State Petroleum Association, as well the California Chamber of Commerce.