fighting to keep local control 

Over 4,000 natural gas wells have been drilled in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale in just the last four years.  Yet our state legislators have taken no actions to improve protections from gas drilling for our water, our air, or our communities.  Finally, both the State House and State Senate are considering bills about gas drilling (HB 1950 and SB 1100).  But, there’s a problem. 

Take Action today!  Tell your state lawmakers to keep their hands off of local control of Marcellus Drilling!

fracking chemicals:

we have a right to know

The process of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) to drill for natural gas is expanding exponentially in many states.  Reports of accidents and contamination of water are on the rise.  But the “Dirty Water Caucus” is still hard at work.  The FRAC Act (Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act) that would protect our drinking water and public health from the risks of natural gas drilling is still stalled in both the House and the Senate.

Fight the Dirty Water Caucus and ask your Elected Officials to pass the FRAC Act!

in the absence of strong state policy the EPA must step in to protect our health.

Natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale produces wastewater that is very salty and polluted with toxins like barium, benzene, and strontium. Most facilities in Pennsylvania are not equipped to properly treat this wastewater and usually just dilute it before dumping it into our rivers and streams.  Some do no treatment at all. Ask the EPA to step in!

Often this disposal occurs into sources of drinking water for Pennsylvanians. In an effort to address this, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced recently that it was calling on the gas drilling industry to voluntarily stop sending their wastewater to treatment plants for discharge to local rivers and streams. This step marks a positive change from its previous rubber stamp actions but falls short of a mandatory requirement needed to ensure public health is protected.

Twenty three years ago: George H. W. Bush defeated Michael Dukakis to become the 41^st President of the United States, NASA launched its first shuttle flight since the Challenger disaster, Zebra mussels were discovered in the Great Lakes and the Allegheny County Health Department passed the Air Toxics Guidelines to be used to permit new sources of pollution in the county.

Ask County Executive Onorato to work with the Board of Health to update our air toxics standards!

This year’s Pennsylvania state budget cut the Department of Environmental Protection by 10 million dollars. That amounts to a 40% cut to DEP since 2008!

Tell your Legislators what you think of their vote!

Clean Water Action thinks the legislators who voted against this budget deserve a thank you.  Those who voted for it need to know that they have constituents who believe they should stand up for public health.  Find out how your elected leaders voted (State House here and State Senate here)and tell them what you think of that vote.