Measure P Protects Santa Barbara County from the threat of extreme oil extraction
Oil companies have identified thousands upon thousands of potential drill locations across our region -- from Santa Maria to Carpinteria.
This is not the conventional oil that we've been drilling for a hundred years. The only way to extract this oil is through the use of extreme techniques like:
- Fracking: This technique involves injecting water, sand and chemicals underground to break up rock and extract oil and gas. The practice has been halted or banned in 12 states due to water contamination issues, earthquakes and other problems.
- Acidizing: This is similar to fracking, but instead of breaking up the rock, it uses hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acid to melt the rock. According to the Centers for Disease Control, hydrofluoric acid is one of the most toxic chemicals in industrial use.
- Steam Injection: This water-intensive process involves steam-heating oil to 500 degrees to get it out of the ground. It is the most energy-intensive form of oil production and is linked to groundwater contamination. For instance, a recent spill in Cold Lake, Canada contaminated a lake and aquifer. In the Orcutt oil field near Santa Maria, there have been 94 unexpected oil "seeps."
Join the fight to ban these dangerous techniques and protect our water, air, health and climate. Read more.