Photo courtesy Trinidad Tree Sitters
Earth First! and the Trinidad Tree Sitters teamed up yesterday to investigate fracking operations in Northern California. Their investigation confirmed suspicions that Vintage Petroleum plans to frack the beautiful region of the Eel River, which runs through Mendocino County and Humboldt County and is habitat for Coho, Chinook, Steelhead, and the Pacific Lamprey, as well as beavers, river otters, and mink.
According to the Trinidad Tree Sitters’ facebook page:
“This morning, Earth First! and Trinidad Treesitters investigated hydraulic fracturing in the lower Eel River. Occidental Petroleum’s subsidiary, Vintage Petroleum, has fracked gas wells on Tompkins Hill, poisoning the air and water. As we got out of the car an acrid smell warned of gas in the air. We only stayed long enough to snap some pics. As we drove away, we all felt sickened by the gas. We still feel it at this moment. Dirty Gas companies plan to thoroughly frack the lower Eel River Valley. We must stand up to this attack!”
Vintage was caught on camera pouring polluted water into unlined pits in close proximity to an agricultural area, and on top of a public aquifer.
Vintage is also facing a lawsuit by Los Padres ForestWatch for “unlawful discharges of crude oil, waste water, and other pollutants into Sespe Creek and its tributaries within the boundary of the Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County.”
The Trinidad Tree Sitters formed in the Fall of 2011 to defend the sacred Yurok territory of Strawberry Rock against the clearcutting interests of Green Diamond. Earth First! linked up with them after concluding a successful campaign against Green Diamond in another area known as the McKay Tract.