Tell the EPA: Fracking Chemicals Shouldn't Be Secret
Imagine finding out that you've been unknowingly drinking water contaminated by fracking, the extreme process of extracting oil and natural gas by pumping toxic chemicals underground. Now, imagine that you don't know, and aren't allowed to know, what's making your water toxic.
This scenario is a reality for a growing number of U.S. communities, like Dimock, PA. Ray Kemble became a vocal advocate for his community's right to clean water after the gas industry ruined his water supply. The situation in Dimock has gotten so bad that Ray and his neighbors need to have clean water shipped in. It's unacceptable that any community in the U.S. should be put through this, but collectively, we can do something about it.
There's no amount of transparency that will make fracking safe, but disclosure of the chemicals used in the process will give communities more power to fight back.
The Environmental Protection Agency is accepting public comments on whether or not to require fracking companies to disclose the toxic chemicals they use. We need to flood the EPA's inbox so that frackers can't get away with contaminating our water in secret. Add your name and demand that fracking chemicals be exposed.
Dear Administrator McCarthy,
I urge the EPA to require the strongest possible standards for disclosing the chemicals used in fracking. Disclosure will not make fracking safe, but it will make the risks more clear.
The oil and gas industry is exempt from key statutes in the landmark environmental laws, including the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. The loopholes leave the public in the dark about the toxic chemicals used in this dangerous process, many of which are known carcinogens or endocrine disruptors. At the very least, the public should have complete information about the chemicals that oil and gas companies inject underground during fracking.
I urge the EPA to implement the strongest possible rules for disclosing the chemicals used in fracking, without any provisions for "trade secret" exemptions. Ultimately, however, fracking is inherently unsafe, and no regulations can avoid the significant risks to aquifers, including from flawed and leaky wells. A ban on fracking is the only way to ensure the health and safety of our communities.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
