Guest column: The local government takeover by pro-oil supervisors nearly complete
The takeover of local government in Ventura County is nearly complete. Oil companies have invested millions in recent years to elect pro-oil county supervisors and to try to write their own weaker environmental regulations. Tragically, those investments may be beginning to pay off.
In 2020, the previous Board of Supervisors approved the 2040 General Plan which guides land use decisions, including a Climate Action Plan designed to reduce greenhouse gases to meet state climate goals, and regulations to reduce health impacts to residents living in disadvantaged communities. Ventura County is severely impacted by climate change, as evidenced by the Thomas and Woolsey fires, record summertime temperatures, and most recently by the "weather whiplash" atmospheric river rain storms fueled by increased warming of the ocean.
The adopted 2040 plan includes common-sense regulations designed to reduce emissions from oil drilling operations, which are significant contributors to both climate change, which affects us all, and local air pollution, which especially impacts disadvantaged communities. These regulations include limits on the flaring of natural gas produced in the drilling of new oil wells, prohibiting routine flaring of gas discovered in new drilling operations, and requiring that natural gas either be put in pipes and sold to the gas company, used on-site for electric generation, or be re-injected back underground. An exception for flaring in emergencies is allowed. Basically, the 2020 flaring rule prevents oil companies from wasting natural gas by burning it up and generating flaring emissions.
The ban on routine flaring by the board in 2020 was prescient. Bans on routine flaring, which are one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, are being adopted around the world, and formed a significant part of the proposals at the international climate summit in Dubai last December. Flaring wastes an important energy resource without providing any benefit whatsoever, and produces greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions.
Immediately after the board approved the 2040 General Plan, oil companies pounced and sued the county over the new limitations. They want to have the ability to drill wherever they want, keep the oil, and burn off the natural gas as if it weren't a valuable energy resource. Amazing but true. Impacts on climate change and disadvantaged communities be damned.
The previous board defended the 2040 General Plan and allocated money to defend the lawsuits. That changed when supervisors Jeff Gorell and Janice Parvin were elected. Suddenly, along with Kelly Long, a majority of the board was pro-oil. A majority of the board voted last fall to settle the oil company lawsuits and directed the Planning Commission to take steps to kill the 2020 flaring regulation and make routine flaring legal. Earlier this month, a majority of the Planning Commission dutifully complied, voting to recommend weakening the regulation. The board is expected to take up the matter in the near future — if they vote to finalize weakening the flaring rule, it will be proof of the oil company takeover of local government.
What can people do? Two things. First, people can show up at the upcoming board hearing to express opposition to changing the flaring and other regulations. Second, people can vote, and they can vote to elect politicians who pledge to protect public health and the environment, and who will not be beholden to oil companies.
Three supervisors are on the ballot this year:
In the 1st district, the incumbent Matt LaVere is up for re-election. In the past he voted to appropriate funds to defend the lawsuits and he is a likely vote to keep the 2020 regulations and not cave to the oil companies.
In the 5th district, the incumbent Vianey Lopez is up for re-election. She was appointed to serve out Carmen Ramirez's term, and she has governed in Carmen's mold, a strong supporter of protecting the environment and disadvantaged communities. She also will not cave to the oil companies.
In the 3rd district, the incumbent Long is up for re-election. She is being challenged by Dr. Kim Marra Stephenson, a strong advocate for the environment and for protecting the disadvantaged. Supervisor Long has been a consistent and reliable supporter of the interests of oil companies, and they have invested heavily in supporting her campaign. Third district voters have an opportunity to remove Long and replace her with Stephenson, a candidate who won't cave to the oil companies.
Flaring natural gas is obscene. Al Gore recently said something that is relevant to the flaring story in Ventura County: "We've got to stop using the sky as an open sewer." It will ultimately be up to the voters and their county supervisors to ensure that oil companies don't take over our local government and treat our sky like an open sewer.
Phil White, an Ojai resident, is a former Air Pollution Control District director, former County Planning Commissioner, and current member of the County Climate Emergency Council.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Guest column: Big Oil's investment in supervisors beginning to pay off
