Our Petition to the Pennsylvania Legislature:
Throughout the past decade, fracking and related infrastructure have moved dangerously close to our homes, schools and communities. As these highly industrialized operations move ever closer, they continue to pollute our air, contaminate our water, and harm our health. Pipelines have exploded near homes, and people living near fracking and related sites have reported an array of alarming health impacts. Every day, Pennsylvania residents’ health and safety are at risk due to outdated laws. We need strong, common sense protective buffers to better protect residents from the impacts of this infrastructure.
Research shows that living within at least 2,500 feet of fracking infrastructure exposes residents to unsafe levels of pollution linked to cancer, asthma, impacts on birth outcomes, and other serious health problems. And yet, Pennsylvania only requires an easily waived 500 feet between fracking and homes. A 2020 Pennsylvania Grand Jury report on fracking called this distance “woefully inadequate” and recommended a 2,500 foot buffer between fracking and homes, as well as greater distances for schools.
The current conversation in Harrisburg is building momentum for protective setbacks from homes and schools to fracked gas sites to be increased to at least 2,500 feet. While this is a great start and should be supported, scientific research shows that even greater distances – as well as safeguards to ensure these requirements cannot be easily waived – are needed to better protect our health and safety.
[YOUR NAME HERE]
