In a letter to Governor Newsom, Consumer Watchdog and FracTracker called on the Governor to freeze all new oil and gas well permits until a top-to-bottom ethics review is completed, all conflicted regulators within DOGGR are removed, and the Administration can guarantee regulatory decisions are based on public safety, not pecuniary gain.

“For too long the health of our community has suffered from dirty oil wells at the Inglewood oil field,” said Deborah Weinrauch, a resident of Culver City. “We cannot afford to keep having more drilling and fracking. In order to protect our health we need Governor Newsom to stop issuing new permits.” 

A review of state conflict of interest forms shows that eight regulators managing the state’s oil and gas well approval and inspection process have hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in the oil companies they regulate.  

“Oil regulators should not be invested in the same oil companies that they regulate,” Consumer Watchdog and FracTracker Alliance wrote in a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom, calling for the removal of Gutierrez and other DOGGR officials with conflicts, and an immediate freeze on new well approval. “These conflicts and approvals reveal a biased department where oil well permitting is on automatic pilot. We ask that you immediately remove all the conflicted managers in the agency and begin a top-to-bottom ethics review.  During this review, you should freeze all new oil and gas well permits until you can guarantee that decisions are made based on public safety, not pecuniary gain.”

The gas tax kicks in on July 1st in California and is expected to generate $50 billion for repairs to roads and infrastructure. Consumer Watchdog President argues that these repairs should be paid for by the excess profits of oil refiners that have been gouging Californians for decades. 

This recycling center, closing June 15th, is the last redemption center west of the 405, serving 200,000 people on LA's Westside. 

40% of the recycling centers in the state have closed in recent years due to economic distress and the failure of state regulators and lawmakers to provide adequate funding for redemption centers where consumers return their bottles and cans.

Consumer Watchdog and recycling advocates are calling on the state to provide relief to the recycling centers to help consumers get their 5 cent and 10 cent bottle deposits returned.

Consumer Watchdog's Liza Tucker explains California's CRV system and the broken in-store deposit system. An audit of California stores showed that 66% are refusing to take back bottle deposits and provide redemption, creating a huge impediment to a successful recycling program. The system of recycling in California needs to be reexamined and manufacturers need to be held accountable for their part in creating waste. 

Drivers are experiencing the 'Golden State Gouge' as gas prices soar in California. Consumer Watchdog explains that a small number of refiners control the supply of the whole state and use their ability to manipulate prices to up profits at the expense of Californians.

Jamie Court, President of Consumer Watchdog, says that oil companies manipulate pump prices and gouge Californian drivers.