Guest View: Supervisor contends Measure J goes too far

Hollister Free Lance | October 29, 2014 | by Supervisor Margie Barrios

Measure J goes much further than hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Measure J would broadly ban energy companies from using any of the techniques currently employed in California—or that might be developed in the future—to enhance the flow of oil below ground for pumping to the surface. Specifically, as stated in Section 2 of the ballot measure, Measure J would prohibit so-called “high-intensity petroleum operations,” a term, by the way, entirely made up by the political activists behind the measure. And what are high-intensity petroleum operations? As defined by Measure J, high-intensity petroleum operations means “any treatment of a well designed to enhance oil and gas production or recovery.” This is the crux of the problem with Measure J—and why it goes way too far and should be rejected.

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