> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Stop Watering Our Crops with Toxic Oil Wastewater!
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/watering_our_crops_with_toxic_oil_wastewater_0728160951/
- Published: 2016-07-28T22:50:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:33:28.000Z
- Description: A Center for Food Safety petition asks readers to tell Governor Brown and the state water board to stop California growers from irrigating crops with oil-industry wastewater, arguing no independent testing has been done and that plans would expand the practice.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Politics, #vivvo-import

[Add Your Name: Stop Watering Our Crops with Toxic Oil Wastewater!](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=oiiXxF20CUWxIhh0iq3cV0lYjTlgaKDH&ref=foodconsumer.org)

  
If you eat avocados, oranges and grapes, you’ve eaten crops grown in California. In fact, over a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruits are grown in California.1 When you bite into those fruits and vegetables, what comes to mind? Freshness, sunshine, good health?

**Well, add toxic oil wastewater to that list, because that’s what is being used to irrigate California crops.**2 

Big Oil has taken advantage of California farmers’ desperate need for water and is selling them oil wastewater—the water that’s been used in fracking and other oil operations—at a cheap rate for irrigation.**Hundreds of chemicals are used in oil operations, and some of these chemicals are known to cause cancer, kidney failure, and liver damage**3—**and they could be in the oil wastewater that is being used on our fruits and vegetables.**  
  
[**Sign if you agree: Oil wastewater should not be used to grow our food!**](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=6p8dEbwMa%2B6uZcLcVE8780lYjTlgaKDH&ref=foodconsumer.org)

How is that possible? No comprehensive and independent testing has been undertaken to ensure that our food and health is protected from the chemicals used in oil operations. And no action has been taken to protect the farmworkers who are potentially exposed to these toxins daily.

**Now, as California braces for another hot, dry summer, plans are underway to expand the use of toxic oil wastewater for crop irrigation in the state.** 

We need to put an end to this practice immediately.

[**Sign the petition to tell Governor Brown and the California State Water Board to stop the use of oil wastewater for crop irrigation in California >>**](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=xWpxEbTaf%2BL%2BeLNXm%2FqzHUlYjTlgaKDH&ref=foodconsumer.org)

Thanks for everything you do,  
The Center for Food Safety team

---

More Info:  

1\. [https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/statistics/](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=vjvNDfYc9HVlHlPsBpVVFUlYjTlgaKDH&ref=foodconsumer.org)  
2\. [http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2016/01/13/farms-using-oilfield-wastewater-under-review-for-food-safety/](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=sw68KRVgbnSA8E1f7VpHb2akXWuAR7ID&ref=foodconsumer.org)   
3.[ http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/07/oil-wastewater-fruits-vegetables-farms](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=8eQXS%2F%2BBWU5P2p3dP26tbklYjTlgaKDH&ref=foodconsumer.org)

|  |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |  |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |  |
|  | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |  | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |  |
|  | **Contact Us** CFS welcomes your questions and comments. Please contact us at [office@centerforfoodsafety.org](mailto:office@centerforfoodsafety.org), or at one of our offices. [DONATE](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=fsPb16Hinrej22kWLv8CyUlYjTlgaKDH&ref=foodconsumer.org) |  | National Headquarters660 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, #302Washington, DC 20003phone [(202) 547-9359](tel:%28202%29%20547-9359) \| fax[(202) 547-9429](tel:%28202%29%20547-9429) [www.centerforfoodsafety.org](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=aKdrdmUAyTq6mZEZESiPmklYjTlgaKDH&ref=foodconsumer.org) |  |