Jason Marshall, Chief Deputy Director for the Department of Conservation says the purpose of the public hearings is straightforward.
“What is in those regulations that people would like to see changed? What is not in those regulations that they think need to be added?” he says.
As of January first, new interim regulations require the oil and gas industry to disclose chemicals used in the fracking process, monitor groundwater and notify neighbors of drilling.
But the proposed permanent regulations also require operators to obtain permits.
Marshall says he expects turnout to be significant, which is why the hearings are scheduled for four hours.
“We understand there are folk who are concerned about the practice and will want to voice, you know, we think you left this entire issue out of your regulations and we’re really here to take those comments,” says Marshall.
Hearings are scheduled for Monday in Sacramento and Long Beach. Three other hearings will be held across the state including Bakersfield and Salinas Wednesday and Santa Maria on Jan. 15.
"We actually anticipate that we may have to ask people to keep their comments to five minutes or so if we’ve got so many people," says Marshall.
Public Hearings:
Sacramento -- January 6, Sierra Room, California Environmental Protection Agency Building, 10th & I streets, 3-7 p.m.
Long Beach -- January 6, California State University-Long Beach auditorium, 1212 Bellflower Boulevard, 3-7 p.m.
Bakersfield -- January 8, Kern County Administrative Center, first floor board chambers, 1115 Truxtun Avenue, 3-7 p.m.
Salinas -- January 8, National Steinbeck Center, One Main Street, 3-7 p.m.
Santa Maria -- January 13, Santa Barbara County supervisors hearing room, 511 East Lakeside Parkway, 3-7 p.m.
July 23, 2018Two nights of aerial spraying to reduce the number of mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile virus are scheduled to begin Monday in parts of Elk Grove, the Pocket Neighborhood and neighborhoods south of Fruitridge Road.
.jpg "Tahoe Environmental Research Center boat captain Brant Allen lowers a Secchi disk from the research vessel into Lake Tahoe. The disk has been used for more than 50 years to measure water clarity at the lake.")
June 13, 2018If you spent time on the water at Lake Tahoe last year and thought it looked a lot cloudier, you're right. UC Davis researchers say extreme weather — drought followed by heavy rains — caused clarity in 2017 to drop to its lowest recorded level.
.jpg "A million fall run Chinook salmon smolts, who were raised at the Feather River Hatchery, are released from large tanks down a long pipe on a dock and out into the Sacramento River.")
May 3, 2018The fish took a ride in a large truck on Wednesday morning and are now headed down the river on a journey to the ocean.
March 8, 2018Using this new approach to calculate the snow’s water content also means improved forecasts for farms and cities, and even positive benefits for renewable-energy production. The program soon could go statewide — if it gets funded.
March 5, 2018(AP) — Monday's snow survey found a "much rosier" picture than before last week's heavy winter storm, but still less than half the usual snow for this point in the season.
March 1, 2018A judge ordered the California Department of Food and Agriculture to stop spraying dozens of pesticides. Some environmental groups count this as a win but a UC Riverside researcher warns the move will hurt efforts to fight a damaging citrus disease.
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today
