Hill Heat: Fracking Opponents Rack Up Victories in Local BattlesScience Policy Legislation Actiontag:www.hillheat.org,2005:TypoTypo2014-11-06T02:21:53-05:00Brad Johnsonurn:uuid:87f7b951-79ce-4890-a774-d1b7242646012014-11-05T11:26:00-05:002014-11-06T02:21:53-05:00Fracking Opponents Rack Up Victories in Local Battles<p>This Election Day, opponents of the hydrofracturing boom achieved a number of local ballot victories, overcoming massive spending by the fossil-fuel industry.</p>
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<li>Voters in Denton, Texas, the “<a href='http://www.bseec.org/articles/ramifications-proposed-denton-texas-hydraulic-fracturing-ban'>birthplace</a>” of the modern fracking boom, <a href='http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/local-politics/20141105-denton-fracking-ban-passed-in-landslide1.ece'>banned fracking</a> in a landslide vote. Supporters of the ban were outspent by the oil-and-gas industry ten to one.</li>
</ul>
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<li>Athens, Ohio voters “overwhelmingly” passed a ban on fracking. An astounding <a href='http://www.athensohiotoday.com/news/athens-anti-fracking-bill-of-rights-gets-thumbs-up-from/article_f297892e-80b4-58e0-b8d9-a87f1951d44d.html'>78 percent</a> of voters supported the ban.</li>
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<li>Central California’s San Benito County, which lies atop the Monterey Shale formation, <a href='http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_26866639/san-benito-countys-measure-j-voters-backing-anti'>passed Measure J to ban fracking</a>, overcoming $1.8 million in spending from Chevron, ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum and other oil companies. Supporters of the ban won despite being outspent 15 to one.</li>
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<li>Northern California’s <a href='http://www.globalexchange.org/blogs/peopletopeople/2014/11/05/mendocino-countys-historic-vote-elevates-residents-rights-bans-fracking/'>Mendocino County</a> likewise passed Measure S to ban fracking, with 67 percent of the vote. The successful effort was led by the <a href='http://www.crnmc.org/'>Community Rights Network of Mendocino County</a>, a grassroots group of 30 activists supported by groups such as Californians Against Fracking, <a href='http://www.celdf.org/press-release-mendocino-co-ca-adopts-community-bill-of-rights-banning-fracking'>Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund</a>, and Global Exchange.</li>
</ul>
<p>There were additional local victories for oil-industry opponents and environmentalists across the nation.</p><p>This Election Day, opponents of the hydrofracturing boom achieved a number of local ballot victories, overcoming massive spending by the fossil-fuel industry.</p>
<ul>
<li>Voters in Denton, Texas, the “<a href='http://www.bseec.org/articles/ramifications-proposed-denton-texas-hydraulic-fracturing-ban'>birthplace</a>” of the modern fracking boom, <a href='http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/local-politics/20141105-denton-fracking-ban-passed-in-landslide1.ece'>banned fracking</a> in a landslide vote. Supporters of the ban were outspent by the oil-and-gas industry ten to one.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Athens, Ohio voters “overwhelmingly” passed a ban on fracking. An astounding <a href='http://www.athensohiotoday.com/news/athens-anti-fracking-bill-of-rights-gets-thumbs-up-from/article_f297892e-80b4-58e0-b8d9-a87f1951d44d.html'>78 percent</a> of voters supported the ban.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Central California’s San Benito County, which lies atop the Monterey Shale formation, <a href='http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_26866639/san-benito-countys-measure-j-voters-backing-anti'>passed Measure J to ban fracking</a>, overcoming $1.8 million in spending from Chevron, ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum and other oil companies. Supporters of the ban won despite being outspent 15 to one.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Northern California’s <a href='http://www.globalexchange.org/blogs/peopletopeople/2014/11/05/mendocino-countys-historic-vote-elevates-residents-rights-bans-fracking/'>Mendocino County</a> likewise passed Measure S to ban fracking, with 67 percent of the vote. The successful effort was led by the <a href='http://www.crnmc.org/'>Community Rights Network of Mendocino County</a>, a grassroots group of 30 activists supported by groups such as Californians Against Fracking, <a href='http://www.celdf.org/press-release-mendocino-co-ca-adopts-community-bill-of-rights-banning-fracking'>Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund</a>, and Global Exchange.</li>
</ul>
<p>There were additional local victories for oil-industry opponents and environmentalists across the nation.</p>
<p>In Richmond, the San Francisco suburb home to a major Chevron refinery which exploded in 1989, 1999, and 2012, a five-member progressive slate for mayor and city council <a href='http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/11/05/councilman-butt-appears-to-win-richmond-mayors-race-contra-costa-progressive-alliance-chevron/'>won decisive victory</a> over the Chevron-supported candidates. The progressives, supported by Richmond Working Families (ACCE Action, <span class="caps">APEN</span> Action, <span class="caps">SEIU 1021</span>), and by the Richmond Progressive Alliance, overcame <a href='http://www.eastbayexpress.com/SevenDays/archives/2014/11/04/progressives-take-lead-over-big-oil-in-richmond'>$3 million</a> in spending by the oil giant, a 60 to one spending ratio.</p>
<p>Fracking opponent <a href='http://www.hometownlife.com/story/news/local/canton/2014/11/05/kristy-pagan-state-house/18521119/'>Kristy Pagan</a>, a first-time candidate, won election in Michigan’s state House 21st District.</p>
<p>In one of the few national races to swing unexpectedly for Democrats, Rep. <a href='http://watchdog.org/181630/lee-terry-2/'>Lee Terry</a> of Nebraska, a major Keystone XL backer, lost to Democratic challenger Brad Ashford, who has also <a href='http://www.omaha.com/news/nebraska-senators-sign-letter-in-support-of-keystone-xl-pipeline/article_9b0b2735-b218-5b2b-9909-c487ca621e64.html'>expressed support</a> for the pipeline but was <a href='http://www.lcv.org/elections/environmental-facebook/brad-ashford.html'>endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters</a>.</p>
<p>In another local victory against industrial interests, a <a href='http://www.civilbeat.com/2014/11/1000-votes-maui-gmo-farming-ban-squeaks-by/'>ban on genetically engineered crops</a> in Maui County, Hawaii, narrowly passed, overcoming $8 million in spending from opponents such as Monsanto and Dow, who profit from the treatment of food as intellectual property. The failed opposition outspent advocates 87 to 1. <a href='http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/11/05/361750308/colorado-says-no-as-gmo-labeling-continues-to-stumble-at-ballot-box'><span class="caps">GMO</span>-labeling measures failed</a> under a similar spending onslaught in Colorado and Oregon.</p>
<p>“<a href='http://priceofoil.org/2014/11/05/amongst-losses-six-wins-shine/'>Their wins</a> aren’t wins just for their communities — they are wins for all of us pushing back against the fossil fuel industry and for a climate safe future,” Oil Change International’s David Turnbull wrote. “They are bright spots in an otherwise dim night.”</p>