Fracking fray heats up

Joni Stellar, organizer of Frack Free Butte County, appeared at the Butte County Superior Court’s Chico complex Tuesday (July 15) in an attempt to ensure a proposed fracking ban makes it onto the ballot in November.

On June 16, County Clerk-Recorder Candace Grubbs informed the group its petition was invalid because it contained “facial defects” (see “Goliath goes to court,” Newslines, June 26). To save the petition, the court must waive the imperfections in time for the county Board of Supervisors to give approval at its July 29 meeting. Judge Robert Glusman scheduled a hearing on the matter for July 23.

Stellar also unsuccessfully sought to block intervention in the case by lawyers from the Sacramento law firm that brought the petition’s defects to Grubbs’ attention on behalf of Californians for a Safe, Secure Energy Coalition, a pro-fracking group. The firm is now also representing Robert Scott, a county resident who claims the future development on his land near Gridley would be negatively affected by a ban.