Pennsylvania needs a moratorium on any new Gas Drilling!

With a history of environmental degradation, economic exploitation and safety violations, the coal industry’s record foreshadows the impact hasty drilling will have on Marcellus Shale communities.

Pennsylvania needs a moratorium on further Marcellus gas drilling until state and federal governments have adequate regulations to protect local drinking water standards. The Marcellus drilling boom has swept across Pennsylvania before our state government was prepared to handle this. It has imposed a heavy costs on our state environment: from air pollution due to hydrocarbon emissions; pipelines defacement our forests and natural areas, drilling pads and wastewater pits scarring our landscapes; heavy rigs damaging our roads; billions of gallons of water taken from our streams with the potential to them to dry up; and operational errors contaminating our land and water and air

Pennsylvania communities are affected as well, people being killed and injured from accidents, communities and towns having to pay for additional services such as training and equipment necessary for emergency personnel to deal with fires, toxic spills. Towns are also involved in costly legal battles to make companies comply with regulations and zoning. All these expenses are occurring which communities have to absorb in a time of economic downturn!

The state was not prepared for the onslaught. As a result, thousands of permits were issued before the problems you read about in the newspapers were revealed. This problem included:

1. A gas well explosion in Clearfield County, which led DEP to impose requirements on operation of blow out preventers.

2. The contamination of drinking water wells in Dimock and in other counties due to poor casing and cementing of the wells;

3. The gas explosion where two workers were killed in Explosion near Pittsburgh.

4. Fracking Spills which have ruined Pennsylvania Streams

5. The lack of wastewater infrastructure to treat wastewater

6. The Pennsylvania State Police finding that 40% of trucks serving the Marcellus industry had safety violations; and the destruction of rural roads by heavy trucks.

7. Pennsylvania DEP issued 1435 Violations in 2.5 Years - 952 Identified as Most Likely to harm the environment.

8. The quarantine of cattle after a mixture of fresh water and wastewater leaked from an impoundment pit

9. The Spilling of 12,000 gallons of synthetic drilling mud spilled in Sproul State Forest

10. Numerous fish Kills From Marcellus Shale Drilling like what happened in Cross Creek Park Washington County

This is just the tip of the iceberg to the numerous problems and issues which face Pennsylvania because of natural gas drilling

If we can't protect our communities and natural resources, then we should not drill!

Pennsylvania needs proven assurance their irreplaceable water sources will remain clean and safe to drink long after the gas has been fractured away. We ask you to write your Legislators in Harrisburg to impose a drilling moratorium until state and federal governments have adequate regulations to protect local drinking water standards.