Residents in opposition of fracking – and other forms of extracting oil and natural gas in the county – are attempting to place a proposed ban against such activities on the November ballot.
That prospective measure also calls for an end to all petroleum-related activity in residential areas of unincorporated San Benito County.
The San Benito Rising group comprised of local residents is circulating the petition – members say they already have nearly double the number of necessary signatures – to get a measure placed on the November ballot.
The “notice of intent to circulate” includes the group’s argument that hydraulic fracturing and other forms of extraction – such as steam injections – cause negative environmental impacts, particularly to the groundwater supply.
Those residents are in the midst of the 180-day period to circulate the petition. They have informed the elections office they plan to file April 22. At that time, the elections office would have 30 days to certify the signatures. San Benito Rising needs 1,642 valid signatures, or 10 percent of the votes from the 2010 gubernatorial election, said Angela Curro, an assistant clerk who handles elections matters.
If the county elections office validates those signatures, the item would move on to the board of supervisors. Board members would then decide whether to adopt the measure or send it to the November ballot.
While the fracking topic has been one of the most debated matters locally, it also tends to come up in political circles. It did so at Thursday’s candidate forum put on by the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau. The three candidates involved, Victor Gomez, Daniel Recht and incumbent Jerry Muenzer, are vying to represent the rural District 4 where such a ban could levy a relatively big impact.
Citadel President and CEO Armen Nahabedian, whose Ojai-based company is overseeing the Project Indian oil and gas exploratory site in the Bitterwater area, attended the forum and asked candidates for their views on the proposed ban. He stressed that the proposal would ban all forms of extraction, not just fracking.
“A question for every one of the candidates,” he said. “Knowing that the authors of the new initiative have also bundled in every other possible means of extracting oil from your county (along) with fracking to get this pushed through … would you be in support of this new initiative in November on the ballot?
Gomez simply answered no.
Recht said it is important to look at the other forms of exploration included in the proposal.
“By simply saying yes or no on this, you eliminate the possibilities of every other type of exploration,” Recht said.
Muenzer said he wants to leave it up to voters of the state and county.
“I think the citizens of San Benito County can also decide this issue intelligently,” he said.
Look back next week for more on this story, including more reaction from both sides of the issue.
