Keep Tap Water Safe

Dear Friends & Neighbors,

No doubt by now you’ve heard a lot about hydraulic fracturing – or fracking – for natural gas. The issue of fresh water depletion and toxic water and air pollution just won’t go away, no matter how much our pro-gas, anti-tax governor would like it to. In fact, the EPA has recently begun studies of fracking’s impact in three Pennsylvania counties. The industry, however, is not willing to wait for science, and they are moving full steam ahead, taking advantage of Pennsylvania’s no-tax status and lax regulation. At the same time, the new state budget includes $160 million in cuts to the Department of Environmental Protection. Go figure.

If you’re not outraged yet, then consider the recent vote to approve “Forced Pooling” in which landowners can be compelled to sign drilling leases simply because their neighbors have.

Personally, I’ve had enough of a legislature that exists in the pocket of the gas industry. Governor Corbett alone accepted $1.2 million in campaign contributions, making him the largest recipient of gas dollars in PA. We can live without natural gas, but we cannot live without clean water.

There is a rapidly growing bi-partisan movement among moderate Pennsylvanians to enact sensible, more stringent legislation, and to follow the example of New York, New Jersey and even France to halt this dangerous practice until all the facts are in. We need jobs, certainly, but we need information even more (and not industry propaganda) if we are to be certain that it’s being done right.

On September 7 and 8, the industry will hold its largest trade show to date at Philadelphia Convention Center. Numerous water action groups are coming together to protest shale gas drilling. It is organized by Protecting Our Waters, a Philadelphia-based non-profit organization, along with their many partners in the region. It’s gonna be big.

If you are as concerned about your tap water as I am, please consider supporting the Shale Gas Outrage protest by logging on and making a donation today.

Thank you!!

Tags: Anti-Fracking Movement, Fractivism

This entry was posted on July 17, 2011 at 9:45 am and is filed under Politics, Stop Fracking PA!. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.