For Immediate Release:
September 10, 2025
Contact:
Isa Flores-Jones, ifloresjones@apenaction.org
Sacramento, CA – This morning, after weeks of intensely guarded negotiation, lawmakers and the Governor have finally produced a gut-and-amended version of SB 237 – Newsom’s response to recent refinery closures. The bill lays out provisions to expand the Governor’s statutory authority to suspend summer fuel-blend standards, greenlights increased drilling in Kern County, and directs the California Energy Commission to perform further analysis of the state’s fuel blend specifications and import infrastructure ahead of price shocks.
This proposal comes amidst a legislative session where advocates have fought on multiple fronts to protect against backsliding on critical air and water laws and regulations, including a proposed rule to reduce pollution near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. California’s end of session climate rollbacks come as federal attacks on health and our climate intensify.
The Stop the Shakedown Coalition issued the following statements in response to the end of session proposals:
“While communities across the state face cuts to social services and struggle to pay for groceries, Big Oil – one of the most profitable industries in the world – is using refinery closures, the threat of gas price spikes, and misinformation to shakedown California for an even bigger paycheck. Now, our elected officials appear to be caving. Through backroom, last-minute deals with little to no transparency, Newsom and the legislature are advancing proposals that will line the pockets of oil executives while intensifying pollution for Kern County families and California’s port communities.
Meanwhile, these backroom deals did nothing to prepare the state for future refinery closures or prevent Big Oil from putting California in this position again. Lawmakers had an opportunity this year to advance a comprehensive plan for refinery transitions and guarantees to smooth out price shocks, support workers and local communities through the transition, and prepare for cleanup and remediation of refineries after they close. Instead, they are on the verge of passing yet another giveaway to the oil industry while abandoning communities living near California’s refineries, drilling sites and ports.”
– Faraz Rizvi, Policy and Campaign Manager, Asian Pacific Environmental Network
“Greenlighting tens of thousands of new oil and gas wells with a single, flawed environmental review is a bad idea. It was a bad idea the first two times Kern County tried it—when we sued and won—and it’s a bad idea the third time around. Big Oil asked for more, and we were able to stop the worst from coming through. However, the state’s support for a flawed Kern oil and gas ordinance and blocking legitimate litigation against it is bad policy. Big Oil made Governor Newsom and the legislature blink and bow, and Kern communities and our climate will pay the price. We expect better from our elected leaders.”
– Dan Ress, Senior Attorney, Center on Race Poverty and the Environment
“SB 34 sacrifices communities living near California’s ports by tying the hands of regulators and rolling back regulations that protect port communities from dangerous pollution.
At-berth protections, port infrastructure safeguards, and proposed Indirect Source Rules (ISR) are designed to protect Californians’ health and climate — and should not be traded away as bargaining chips. Weakening community protections to cut deals on gas costs is a ploy that only benefits the oil industry’s bottom line, not the people breathing port pollution every day. Pacific Environment rejects this false choice of affordability or cleaner air.
“Cleaner ships and strong port rules are essential, and Californians shouldn’t have to sacrifice their health for industry profits. Every time rules protect communities, the oil and gas industry hikes prices and complains about needed regulations. That’s a choice they make — and it leaves Californians hostage to their shareholder profits. Clean air should never be up for negotiations.”
– Davina Hurt, Climate Policy Director, Pacific Environment