In wrapping up our “10 Wins Across 10 Years” series, this last installment highlights a win that is part of an ongoing fight for environmental justice in Ventura and introduces the Westside Clean Air Coalition. This is a coalition made up of community members and local organizations fighting to protect West Ventura from harmful oil and gas operations polluting our communities and environment. Coalition members include CFROG, Food and Water Watch, Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), Manos Unidas, the Westside Community Council, and more. Community leaders and concerned residents—parents, students, and kids—have all united under this coalition to advocate for a healthier environment, reflecting the power of collective grassroots action.
The coalition was formed in early 2021 after residents received insufficient notice of unpermitted lead-contaminated soil remediation being conducted by SoCalGas at their McFarlane Gas Compressor Station. Shortly after this, the coalition discovered that this unpermitted remediation work was the first step in SoCalGas’ bigger plans to expand the compressor station. This compressor station is located directly across the street from E.P. Foster Elementary School, and was identified by NASA in 2017 as a “super emitter” of methane. Upon discovering that SoCalGas was the same operator responsible for the Aliso Canyon disaster, community concern over this issue only grew.
On April 24th, 2021, the Westside Clean Air Coalition organized a powerful march in West Ventura to bring awareness to this issue. More than 160 passionate community members rallied for the health of our children and community, urging SoCalGas to halt their expansion plans and take accountability for the harm caused by the McFarlane Gas Compressor facility. Participants highlighted the threat that the facility poses to the nearby elementary school, the West Ventura Boys & Girls Club, and hundreds of homes, local businesses, and public spaces in the area. Emissions from this natural gas compressor station impact the health of many community members, especially those with existing health problems. Former Ventura Mayor Sofia Rubalcava, a Westside resident, delivered a keynote address at the march, joined by Councilman Mike Johnson and two Ventura Unified School District board members, as they marched toward the compressor in protest alongside their constituents.
Following the march in April 2021, the movement to halt the expansion of the SoCalGas compressor continued to gain traction. At a rally just a few months later, on July 18th, 2021, Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert spoke passionately about the community’s plight. He shared his experience working in the area and witnessing the overwhelming smell of gas near homes, workplaces, and schools. Gellert highlighted the dangerous implications of expanding gas infrastructure in a residential area, emphasizing that this is a grave environmental injustice to the predominantly low-income and Latinx community nearby. He also noted that the state of California is working toward reducing natural gas use as part of a broader effort to combat climate change, and the expansion of a gas facility contradicts these goals and poses unnecessary risks to a vulnerable community.
The Westside Clean Air Coalition mobilized hundreds of community members to write letters to SoCalGas in protest of the expansion of the compressor. That summer, despite receiving over 280 emails from concerned residents, SoCalGas announced plans to construct a temporary office and continue excavating polluted soil before expanding their gas operations. The history of gas leaks at the facility and the ongoing threat of compressor ruptures only heightened the urgency of community demands for action – especially when these companies have a track record of avoiding proper permitting processes.
Residents have long been alarmed by the regular occurrence of gas odors, with some calling 911 during the 2021 Fourth of July weekend due to fears for their safety. Turns out, these fears were warranted, as SoCalGas later identified the unannounced leak as an “unplanned venting” event. The compressor’s status as a “super-emitter” increases the community’s risk of exposure to toxic substances like diesel particulate matter (DPM) and vinyl chloride, known for their severe health impacts. The cleanup plan proposed by SoCalGas only addresses a fraction of the contamination, leaving deeper threats to groundwater and community health unaddressed.
On May 10, 2022, in response to the community’s concern over this issue, the Ventura City Council held a meeting to consider a resolution calling for a thorough and complete environmental review of the proposed expansion project, including a comprehensive environmental impact report. The Westside Clean Air Coalition helped organize community members to pack the hearing room in support of this resolution, urging local officials to protect our public health and safety rather than prioritize industry wealth. After hearing from dozens of concerned residents, the Ventura City Council voted to pass the resolution, and while we haven’t yet seen success in halting the compressor expansion or getting it entirely removed from the community, this was a major win along the way.
An environmental review prevents any further work on the land until these reports are completed. Moreover, these reports, when published, will provide community members, elected officials, and agency representatives with the necessary data to determine if the negative health and environmental impacts of an expansion outweigh the potential economic benefits.
Other local and state leaders stood with the community too – Senator Monique Limón, Assemblymember Steve Bennett, and the County of Ventura all called for an environmental review of the proposed expansion. The growing pressure eventually led the California Public Utilities Commission to order SoCalGas to halt all activity at the site until more authentic public engagement was done. But the agency soon realized this was not enough and a few months later ordered a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity Hearing for the expansion and site. This was not only a win for our community, but also resulted in a statewide rule that any major expansion of a natural gas facility had to be approved in the public hearing – setting precedent for all California communities impacted by this harmful infrastructure.
The Westside Clean Air Coalition expects the public hearings to begin within the next year, so keep an eye out and sign up for the coalition’s mail list to stay updated and for any action alerts!
This fight for clean air is not just a local issue; it’s a fight for the future. Local organizations like CFROG, Food & Water Watch, CAUSE, and Manos Unidas play essential roles in educating and equipping communities with the tools, resources, and knowledge to advocate for their health and well-being. The Westside Clean Air Coalition, backed by community leaders and dedicated activists, has long stood ready to confront these challenges head-on. A fight towards clean air on Ventura’s Westside has a rippling effect, leading to further advocacy for better air quality and health within our community and beyond.
Together, we will continue to fight for clean air, ensuring that our community’s voice is heard loud and clear. The health of our children—and the future of our community—depends on it.