Kern's oil industry took a pass May 21 on a public hearing focused on the environmental impacts of fracking, handing the day to dozens of anti-oil activists who convened in downtown Bakersfield to rail against the technique and the threat of climate change.

Unlike in past regulatory proceedings at the same venue — the chambers of the county Board of Supervisors, where hundreds of oil workers have shown their support, with some speaking up in support of industry practices — very few people representing the industry turned out May 21 at the 6 p.m. hearing hosted by the federal Bureau of Land Management.

John Cox can be reached at 661-395-7404. Follow him on Twitter: @TheThirdGraf. Sign up at Bakersfield.com for free newsletters about local business.

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