It’s business as usual when it comes to refineries blocking investigations into accidents that touch off explosions and fires and that sometimes kill workers and bystanders. And now, ExxonMobil is refusing to respond to subpoenas from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board.
The mailer that landed in thousands of Angelenos’ mailboxes earlier this week slamming California’s signature legislation to slash petroleum use in cars and trucks in half by 2030 was sent by a grassrootsie-sounding group called the California Drivers Alliance.
The power of California’s oil refiners is always felt but rarely visible in Sacramento. It was on full display at Wednesday’s press conference when the Governor, State Senate leader and Assembly Speaker acknowledged that California's effort to lead the world by cutting petroleum use in half was dead for the year due to oil company lobbying and advertising.
The fate of landmark climate legislation will be decided before the California statehouse closes for the year Friday. Its oil industry opponents are desperate to stop it, claiming the proposal will drive up prices at the pump. In fact, Senate Bill 350, currently written to cut California's gasoline use in half by 2030, will actually lower gasoline prices by increasing scarce gasoline inventories.
That's why Big Oil is desperate to amend the legislation into oblivion.
Climate change doesn't turn the heads of oil industry lobbyists, but killing the Global Warming Solutions Act does the trick. This is a picture of the elbow-room-only scrum outside the Assembly gate as lobbyists wait to see the outcome of the Assembly floor vote on SB 32 by Senator Fran Pavley. SB 32 would codify California's commitment to reducing emissions by 2050 to 80% of 1990 levels.