Brentwood council to send opposition letter on BLM draft SEIS; residents cite health, water and cultural risks
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Summary
Following public testimony and staff briefings, the council directed staff to draft a letter opposing new Bureau of Land Management oil‑and‑gas leasing near Brentwood and to copy state and federal legislative representatives. The BLM comment period on the SEIS closes March 6, 2026.
The Brentwood City Council voted Jan. 27 to direct staff to prepare a letter opposing new oil‑and‑gas leasing in the region and to circulate that letter to city, state and federal partners.
Alexis Morris, the city’s director of community development, briefed the council on the Bureau of Land Management’s draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), which focuses on leasing proposals in San Benito and Monterey counties but is supplemental to a 2019 EIS that covered a broader North Coast field office area. The SEIS is available for public comment through March 6, 2026, and the BLM is hosting a virtual meeting on Jan. 29 for registered commenters.
Residents urged the council to oppose new leasing and to challenge the SEIS for what commenters described as insufficient analysis of localized health impacts, water risks, environmental justice concerns and potential disturbance of cultural sites. One public commenter summarized peer‑reviewed research linking proximity to oil and gas operations with increased exposures to fine particulate matter, volatile organic compounds and adverse birth outcomes; another urged staff to look into whether specific parcels near Brentwood are ‘split estate’ (surface private/state/federal mineral rights) to clarify risk.
Councilmembers discussed translating those concerns into a letter that calls out shortcomings of the SEIS (notably omission of up‑to‑date cumulative health and environmental‑justice analyses) and instructed staff to send the city’s position to federal representatives and state legislators as part of the outreach.
Motion and next steps: Councilmember Mendoza moved (seconded and passed unanimously) that staff compose a letter reiterating Brentwood’s opposition to oil and gas leasing near the city, cite health and safety concerns for neighboring communities, and copy relevant state and federal officials; staff will prepare and submit the letter before the March 6 deadline.
What to watch: Staff indicated they will investigate BLM regional offices and the channels most effective to deliver the city’s comments so the letter reaches both SEIS staff and relevant regional leadership.
