 |
| Oil being pumped out on L Street and Avalon Boulevard near homes, businesses and a school across the street. (Photo by Anabell Romero) |
Long awaited measures to control the types of chemicals used
in an oil drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing
were presented yesterday by the government agency, South
Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD).
Concerned Wilmington residents ranging from environmental
activist, seniors, high school students and overall frustrated community
members expressed discontent with the agency's delay in evaluating
environmental and health impacts these practices have had on the neighborhood.
“This rule goes further than what any other agency is doing,” said Susan Nakamura, planning and rules manager at AQMD.
The proposed
rule 1148.2 would require prior notification and reporting of
chemicals used when hydraulic fracturing is conducted. This would help determine if existing AQMD
regulations adequately cover oil and gas production activities when conducting
hydraulic fracturing, also commonly referred to as fracking.
Officials of the air quality agency said when their governing
board adopts this rule, reporting of these potentially dangerous chemicals used
in fracking will begin 90 days after date of approval. The members of their governing board consist of supervisors and council members of Los Angeles
County, Riverside County, Orange County, South Pasadena, Rolling Hill Estates
and other regions.
The time frame AQMD proposed was of two years to determine
what and if any chemicals in oil related production are polluting the air and
affecting the health of thousands of residents.
 |
| Alicia Rivera, environmental activist and community organizer, addressing her concerns to the AQMD panel. (Photo by Anabell Romero) |
“A two-year period is too long, it should be shorter,” said
Alicia Rivera, environmental activist and community organizer from Communities for a Better Environment. “An
environmental impact report should be conducted before, if not this allows
expansion and drilling operations…damage has already been done for years.”
The agency responded by stating that this first step is
required to move forward and that perhaps it takes less than two years.
A report by the Natural
Resources Defense Council (NRDC) on risk of fracking in cities like New
York found that it, “generates massive amounts of polluted wastewater that
threaten the health of our drinking water supplies, rivers, streams, and
groundwater.”
The report also states that, “the rapid expansion of natural
gas drilling across the nation endangers human health and the environment.”
Wilmington resident and neighborhood council member, Sylvia
Arredondo, asked the agency if when this process was completed how they were
going to hold these companies accountable for possibly endangering the health of
thousands in the community.
She suggested fining them and proposed that these companies
take care of cost associated with medication for illnesses
caused or aggravated by air pollution like asthma and cancer.
“We can’t negotiate way more than my agency will allow me to
say,” said Nakamura.
Since the PowerPoint presentation addressed by AQMD took
less than 30 minutes attendees at the meeting were given more than an hour to
speak their concerns and share personal experiences of how unregulated practices by
industry in Wilmington has directly impacted their lives.
“People continue dying daily,” said Maria Ramos, an elderly resident who spoke Spanish with her soft and emotional
tone. “If we were rich and comfortable we wouldn’t be living here, but this is
a poor community.”
Throughout the meeting residents continuously thanked AQMD
for coming to Wilmington and for their efforts in adopting new rules to better
control polluters in the neighborhood.
“This room should be filled,” said 39-year-old resident
Arturo Gonzalez. “Rise up people!”
The agency said they were committed to creating better
outreach strategies to ensure that more residents are informed of these public
meetings.
Residents proposed AQMD return in six months to provide an
update of this rule. Nakamura said she would address everyone’s concerns to her
governing board and maybe host another meeting in six to nine months.
Click here to see an interactive graphic that simplifies what fracking is. To report complaints of air polluters in Wilmington call 1-800-CUT-SMOG (1-800-288-7664)
