Ad Campaign Featuring Strong Women Urges
Voters to "Keep" California's 2022
Law Protecting Schools and Neighborhoods from Toxic Oil
Drilling
SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 21,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Campaign for a Safe
and Healthy California released a new ad featuring actor/activist
Jane Fonda, philanthropist
Wendy Schmidt, Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, and activist Nalleli Cobo to raise awareness about their
campaign to "KEEP THE LAW" protecting California communities from Big Oil's toxic
drilling.
The ad, titled "Women vs. Big Oil," serves to highlight the
diverse coalition coming together to fight the referendum and ends
with a call to action to join the campaign. Watch the full video
here.
"Our goal with this new ad is to demonstrate that this issue
affects us all," said activist Nalleli
Cobo. "As a cancer survivor, I've dealt first-hand with
the devastating health impacts of toxic drilling, and I don't want
other kids to be forced to sacrifice their childhood to the greed
of the oil industry like I did. I spent years dealing with
uncontrollable nosebleeds, childhood asthma, and ultimately,
reproductive cancer, because of the toxic drilling that occurred in
my neighborhood. That's why I've worked since I was 9 years old to
pass common-sense laws, like SB 1137, requiring the oil industry to
keep their drilling away from schools, homes and neighborhoods. Now
oil companies want to reverse that law, and we're not going to let
them."
Big Oil has been working to repeal a law (SB 1137) that makes
existing oil and gas wells safer by meeting tighter health and
environmental requirements within 3,200 feet of neighborhoods,
schools, daycare centers and healthcare facilities, and keeping new
wells from being built in these areas. To try and overturn this
public safety law, oil companies placed a deceptive measure on the
November 2024 ballot.
"Oil companies have already spent more than $60 million in an attempt to deceive voters and
to repeal a California law passed
in 2022 that protects people from the effects of toxic drilling,"
said philanthropist Wendy
Schmidt. "Every day, Big Oil is sacrificing public
health in California communities
to grow their historic profit margins. We've built a massive
coalition of activists, community organizations, and elected
leaders to fight back. When voters understand what's at stake here,
they will join us in this David vs. Goliath fight against Big Oil
to protect the health of our families and our communities."
"For too long, Black communities and communities of color have
suffered the brunt of the adverse health effects from urban oil
drilling," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell. "This issue is about racial
justice, health justice, and environmental justice. We will not be
silent as oil companies try to roll back the protections the state
and LA County have put in place for our communities. We're sounding
the alarm and standing up to this injustice."
"The most important thing is that voters across California vote to KEEP the law in November to
protect public health," said actor and activist Jane Fonda. "I'm so proud to join with other
strong women in this fight to drive home that message between now
and Election Day. Our work has just begun and we won't stop until
we beat Big Oil."
Nearly 30,000 oil and gas wells in California sit within 3,200 feet of homes,
schools, hospitals and other public areas, exposing nearly 3
million people, disproportionately communities of color, to
emissions that can cause birth defects, respiratory illnesses and
cancer. An independent scientific advisory panel in 2021 advised
California officials that a
3,200-foot setback between oil wells and sensitive receptors is the
minimum distance to protect public health.
"KEEP THE LAW" Campaign endorsers include public health groups,
community and faith organizations, and environmental justice
leaders from across California,
working to hold oil companies accountable for creating a public
health crisis, especially for communities of color.
For more information about our campaign, please visit our
website at: www.CAvsBigOil.com
Paid for by Campaign for a Safe and Healthy
California, sponsored by nonprofit environmental and health
organizations. Committee Top Funders: Advocacy Action Fund, Inc.,
Wendy Schmidt, Federated Indians of
Graton Rancheria.
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SOURCE Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California