Friday, July 12, 2019
Gavin Newsome Orders Firing of California's Top Oil and Gas Regulator
Gov.
Gavin Newsom is firing California's top oil and gas regulator over an increase
in state permits for hydraulic fracturing and allegations of conflict of
interest among senior officials.
Newsom's chief of staff asked the state's natural resources secretary to fire Ken Harris on Thursday.
Ann
O'Leary's request came hours after advocacy groups Consumer Watchdog and and
FracTracker Allliance released a report showing officials working in the
division of oil and gas own stock in companies they are responsible for
regulating. It also showed the department has drastically increased fracking
permits.
Harris
has led the state's Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources since 2015.
O'Leary says Newsom was unaware of the increase in fracking permits and that he is concerned about fracking's environmental impact.