Take Action against Hydraulic Fracturing

The use of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to extract shale gas poses risks to drinking water, human health and safety as well as the well-being of people in affected communities. Contaminated water wells near drilling pads in Pennsylvania contain levels of shale gas that are flammable and can be explosive. Radioactivity, heavy metals and toxic chemicals in the shale contaminate wastewater that flows back to the surface after fracking. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently found industrial fracking chemicals and carcinogenic benzene as contaminants in well water aquifers near drilling pads.
 
Fracking wastewater had been treated and discharged into Pennsylvania rivers until contaminants were identified downstream. Some wastewater was also dumped illegally in Pennsylvania streams and forests. Wastewater had been treated in Buffalo, but that is now prohibited to protect drinking water. The gas industry is seeking to treat fracking wastewater in Niagara Falls, risking pollution of the Niagara River and Lake Ontario and contamination of drinking water in the U.S. and Canada (for earlier blog posts on fracking, click here).

This 1 minute video conveys more concerns about fracking:


TAKE ACTION:

Many citizens and politicians want to ban fracking and fracking waste. Urge Governor Cuomo and Senator Grisanti to prohibit fracking and fracking waste in New York. 

First, write a letter to Governor Cuomo on your own or with the help of an online Letterwriter. The Letterwriter contains written text about a number of the following key issues associated with fracking and fracking waste:

• air pollution resulting from fracking operations  
• potential contamination of public water supplies  
• disposal of radioactive wastewater  
• possible spills of toxic chemicals  
• my child with asthma  
• heavy truck traffic on back country roads   
• effects on tourism   
• effects on agriculture

Simply select any one or more key issues, and the text will be inserted into your letter and can be modified. Add your own personal comments as well. The online Letterwriter is at A Million Fracking Letters writer.
 
Your letter to Governor Cuomo will be printed and delivered to his office on your behalf, and a copy will be emailed to you.

Second, and Easy! Another way that you can contact Governor Cuomo is to Phone his office at 518-474-8390. Simply urge the Governor to prohibit fracking and fracking waste in New York State.

Third, Easy and Important: Send a brief email message to Senator Mark Grisanti, head of the Senate Committee on Environmental Conservation. Simply ask him to support bill S4220 to ban fracking and all fracking waste. You can email Senator Grisanti here and phone his office at 877-796-1949.

Thank you for taking action against fracking!