Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • topics
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight With Vicki Gonzalez
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • State Government
  • Environment
  •  

Lawmaker Wants Label On Food Made With 'Fracking Water'

  •  Chris Nichols 
Wednesday, August 19, 2015 | Sacramento, CA
Richard Vogel / AP
 

Richard Vogel / AP

A California lawmaker has proposed a new label for food irrigated with what he calls “fracking water."

Assemblyman Mike Gatto, D-Glendale, said such water might include harmful contaminants, including carcinogens.

Oil companies sell Central Valley farms millions of gallons of treated wastewater every day for irrigation. Some water extracted from the ground during hydraulic fracturing is also used for irrigation.

Gatto says consumers have the right to know what kind of water is being used on their food.

“This is not water that you would want to drink. I think a lot of the people doing this have the attitude that the soil should just be the filter.”

Representatives for two farm industry groups, the California Farm Bureau Federation and the Western Growers Association, declined to comment on Gatto’s proposal or could not be reached for comment.

Some agriculture experts say not enough is known about the topic to say a label is necessary. Others said it’s misleading to declare that “fracking water” is being used on crops.

Blake Sanden is the irrigation and soils farm advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension in Kern County.

He said water pumped out of the ground during hydraulic fracturing is separated from oil, treated and then used for irrigation in rare cases in Kern County. The high-pressure mix of water and chemicals used to break up and fracture rocks, however, is not used to water crops, he explained.

Sanden said there hasn’t been much research on the affects of oil field produced water on crops. Given the role soil plays in filtering contaminants and the microorganisms that consume impurities, he said it’s much too early to stick labels on food.

“I think it’s way premature,” he said.

Asked whether crops grown with the water present a food safety risk, Sanden added: “At this point in the game, there is not a shred of evidence.”


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

 central valleywaterfrackingfarminghydraulic fracturingagriculture industryoil industrycropsKern CountyMike Gattofood safetyfood label

Chris Nichols

PolitiFact California Reporter

For the past dozen years, Chris Nichols has worked as a government and politics reporter at newspapers across California.  Read Full Bio 

 @christhejourno Email Chris Nichols

Sign up for ReCap and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Friday.

 

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

Thank you for signing up for the ReCap newsletter! We'll send you an email each Friday with the top stories from CapRadio.

Browse all newsletters

More State Government Stories

AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

Let’s make a deal: What to know about the California budget

June 29, 2022

AP Photo/Haven Daley

California’s change to concealed carry permits would reduce wide variations among counties

June 30, 2022

AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

Deal pulls California plastic trash measure from ballot

June 30, 2022

Most Viewed

One dead, 4 injured in Downtown Sacramento shooting

Abortion is still legal in California. Here are answers to questions about access in the state.

California coronavirus updates: COVID-19 cases are increasing globally

Downtown Sacramento shooting: What we know and latest updates

Northern California wildfires: Where to find updates on air quality, evacuations, and official information

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

One dead, 4 injured in Downtown Sacramento shooting

Abortion is still legal in California. Here are answers to questions about access in the state.

California coronavirus updates: COVID-19 cases are increasing globally

Downtown Sacramento shooting: What we know and latest updates

Northern California wildfires: Where to find updates on air quality, evacuations, and official information

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Careers & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Smart Speakers
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2022, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.