CA Legislators: Don't Lift the Moratorium!

California’s partial CO₂ pipeline moratorium was enacted in 2022 to protect California communities from dangerous, woefully inadequate federal pipeline safety regulations. It ensures we will not build these dangerous pipelines in California until we have updates to federal pipeline safety rules.

The dangers of CO₂ pipelines were exposed by a disastrous pipeline rupture in Satartia, Mississippi, which sent dozens of people to the hospital and left some with permanent disabilities from CO₂exposure.

The California legislature should NOT amend the law to allow the state to act ahead of federal pipeline rule-making in order to speed up dangerous CO₂ pipelines and carbon capture projects. Prematurely lifting the partial pipeline moratorium puts communities at risk of incredibly dangerous, potentially deadly CO₂ leaks.

Your state legislators have the power to keep California’s partial CO₂ pipeline moratorium in place and resist industry pressure to rush these dangerous pipelines through.

Urge your California Assembly members and senators: Don't lift California’s partial CO₂ pipeline moratorium and vote NO on SB 614 and AB 881.

Your Message

{contact_data~salutation}

I urge you to keep our state’s partial CO2 pipeline moratorium in place to protect Californians. Please vote NO on SB 614 and AB 881.

In 2022, SB 905 created a partial moratorium on CO2 pipelines that could crisscross the state, halting those pipelines until the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHSMA) completes its rulemaking on CO2 pipeline safety.

There is significant uncertainty regarding the design, operation, and maintenance of CO2 pipelines. CO2 transport via pipeline lacks meaningful safety standards, posing significant risks to human health, safety, and the environment should a pipeline failure occur.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS or CCUS) is a fossil fuel industry scheme that regularly overpromises and under-delivers on claims of emissions reductions, while also putting communities at great risk.

Due to significant risks and regulatory gaps, it is important that the moratorium stay in place until PHMSA updates their safety rules. Proposals to get around this moratorium and fast-track CO2 pipeline approvals are dangerous and misguided. The California legislature must not amend the law to allow the state to push through inadequate safety rules to speed up CO2 pipelines and CCS projects.

CO2 pipeline leaks can be extremely hazardous – even deadly – and the risks can never fully be eliminated. CO2 is a potentially lethal asphyxiant. Because CO2 is heavier than air, it displaces oxygen. A CO2 leak can, thus, cause asphyxiation and lead to death. Oxygen displacement also starves equipment that burns fuel, causing it to shut off. In the Satartia, Mississippi, CO2 gas leak incident, first responders were impacted and cars being used to evacuate were unable to run. Leaked CO2 can travel for miles and is extremely concerning for any location where large numbers of CCS projects are already being proposed throughout the state. Many of the areas where CCS projects are proposed, such as the San Joaquin and Central valleys, are rural and far from hospitals, meaning medical attention and emergency response would struggle to reach the scene in a timely manner in the case of a leak.

As such, the California legislature should not amend the law to allow California to act ahead of PHMSA in order to speed up CO2 pipelines and CCS projects. Prematurely lifting the partial pipeline moratorium puts communities at risk for incredibly dangerous, potentially deadly CO2 leaks.

Please protect Californians by keeping our state’s partial CO2 pipeline moratorium in place. Vote NO on SB 614 and AB 881.

Sincerely,
{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}
{user_data~Address 1} 
{user_data~City}, {user_data~State} {user_data~Ghost Zip Code}

Sincerely,
[First Name] [Last Name]
[Your Address]

Your Information

Your elected officials may require the contact information below in order to receive your message.

Title

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Street Address

City

State

Zip Code

Mobile/Phone

By providing your email address, you consent to receive updates about urgent food, water, and climate issues from Food & Water Watch. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Yes, sign me up to receive digital communications about urgent food, water, and climate issues. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Yes, sign me up for recurring text messages from Food & Water Watch and Food & Water Action. Msg & data rates may apply. Text STOP to quit.

C3 Affiliation