Can’t Get No Protection

Anti-Fracking Petitions Proliferate in PA and Around the World
There are tons of anti-fracking petitions floating around these days. A few years ago, it would have been a challenge to find one, but now they’re like fish in a barrel. Some have gained heavy traction, like PennEnvironment’s “Protect Pennsylvania from Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling” which has more than 35,000 signatures, yet lawmakers of both parties regularly remark that they tend to pay “internet petitions” scant notice.

“Nobody pays attention to them,” confirmed State Senator Daylin Leach [D-17th] at an informal discussion on gas drilling issues hosted by PennEnvironment in Upper Merion earlier this year. I guess I already kinda knew that but I’m optimistic by nature and, after all, it’s only a few clicks, right? If nothing else, I’ll lend a little moral support to the petitioners? Leach recommends letters and petitions on paper, and calling on your legislators.

Still, maybe lawmakers ought to at least take note of the sheer number of online anti-fracking petitions. If nothing else, it’s an indication that the public is trying to tell them something. There are way more petitions than I could possibly list here, of course that didn’t stop me from trying! Please let me know if I missed yours.

Say No To Shale Gas! Current Petitions:

Upgrade The Delaware River to Exceptional Value Status (Delaware Riverkeeper Network)

Protect the Susquehanna River Basin (Protecting Our Waters)

No New Permits – A Moratorium for Pennsylvania (Pennsylvanians for Clean Land, Air and Water)

Tell Governor Corbett to Provide Water for Fracking Victims (Water Defense)

Tell Congress to Ban Fracking Now! (Food and Water Watch)

Tell State Legislators to Ban Fracking Now! (Food and Water Watch)

Save the Clean Water Act from Attack by Gas Drillers (Sierra/PA)

Stop Fracking in Bucks County PA and Repeal Act 13! (Concerned Bucks County Pa Family)

EPA Intervention Needed to Protect PA Rivers (Clean Water Action)

Declare the Susquehanna River impaired under the Federal Clean Water Act (Cynthia Lustig)

Protect Pennsylvania From Marcellus Gas Drilling (PennEnvironment)

Stop Governor Corbett’s Attack on Pennsylvania’s Parks (Adam Garber)

Save Our State Forests in Pennsylvania (SOS)

Oppose New DEP GP5 Permit, Cuts All Public Input on Gas Equipment (Clean Air Council)

Protect Threatened River Herring and Shad (EarthJustice)

Keep Drilling Toxins Out of Our Drinking Water (Earthworks)

EPA, Send Clean Water to Families Impacted by Fracking in Butler County, PA! (Protecting Our Waters)

Tell President Obama: Keep Our Drinking Water Safe (Food and Water Watch)

AquaAmerica, No Evictions for Fracking! (Protecting Our Waters)

Ban Hydraulic Fracturing (Roseanna Sacco)

Tell Garth Everett PA State Representative [84th] Help Residents of Fracking Eviction to Get a Better Deal (Scott Cannon)

Open Letter to President Obama on State of the Union (United for Action)

Anti-Fracking Pledge of Resistance (Occupy Well Street)

NEW YORK

Tell Gov. Cuomo NO to Fracking, YES to a Green Economy (Energy Action Coalition)

Ban Natural Gas Drilling in New York State (Care2 ) lists Ostego organizations sponsoring the petition

NY Against Fracking

Town Of Ulysses Ban on Fracking

Statewide Ban on Fracking! (Democracy in Action)

MarcellusProtest.org/bans-and-moratoria has a list of proposed bans compiled by Joe Hoff, Chairman of Keuka Citizens Against Hydrofracking (a member of the Coalition to Protect New York)

Ban Hydraulic Fracturing in the Town of Chenango (Concerned Citizens of the Town of Chenango)

COLORADO

Governor Hickenlooper; Allow Local Governments to Say No Fracking (Bree Ervin)

OHIO

Ohio’s Health and Environment Are Not For Sale

DELAWARE

Tell Governor Markell: Say “No!” to Fracking in the Delaware River Basin (John Kowalko)

NORTH CAROLINA

Say No to Fracking in North Carolina (North Carolina Conservation Network)

MICHIGAN

Petition to Ban Fracking (DontFrackMichigan.org)

INTERNATIONAL