Holding the Fossil Fuel Industry Accountable
Oppose polluting development and advocate for progressive policy
Ventura County is the fastest-warming county in the lower United States, which is unequivocally caused by the burning of fossil fuels.
Ventura County is also California’s third largest producer of oil and gas, a fact that makes our region increasingly important for shifting state and even national priorities. Whether the Central Coast joins the Los Angeles region in committing to progressive phase-out policies, or digs its head in the sand and allows “business as usual” like Kern, may decide California’s future.
Will we be a state locked into decades more of fossil fuel dependency – with mounting public health threats and climate-driven disasters? Or a national leader in accelerating a just transition to clean energy that protects frontline communities?
That’s where CFROG comes in. For over a decade, we have been challenging the oil and gas industry with an integrated strategy to decisively help tip the balance toward a clean, just, and more equitable future in our local neighborhoods and across California
How we protect communities from oil and gas pollution
Track local permits and mobilize communities.
For nearly a century, oil and gas development decisions were made with very little public input. CFROG has changed that by ensuring that impacted communities know what is happening in their neighborhood and have the tools to advocate for decisions that put community health first.
We also engage in legal and regulatory proceedings to defend communities and our climate. Over the last 10 years, our intervention has stopped hundreds of polluting wells from being drilled.
Research to fill the gaps in public information.
The impacts of oil and gas operations are far reaching – from emitting health-harming pollution to significantly contributing to the climate crisis to sometimes even causing earthquakes.
CFROG investigates the impacts on our health, economy, and climate, and advocates for systemic solutions to reduce harm.
For example, we authored a first-of-it-kind report on poorly abandoned wells and found that over 40% of plugged wells in Ventura County cannot be confirmed as properly sealed.
Advocate for local and state policies and programs to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable.
We work with constituents and coalitions to pass new progressive and protective laws. Our goal is to hold the oil and gas industry accountable for legacy wells, pollution, the climate crisis, and public health.
Some impactful wins include passing the first significant safety buffer zone in the nation (Ventura County 2040 General Plan), a statewide fracking ban, speeding up the plugging of idle wells (AB 1866), and reaffirming local government power to regulate oil and gas (AB 3233).
