Contact: Anthony Campisi
anthony@ceislermedia.com
Conservation Voters of PA Reacts to Today’s Announcement from Governor Shapiro on Fracking
HARRISBURG – Conservation Voters of PA released the following statement from Molly Parzen, Executive Director, regarding today’s announcement from Governor Shapiro:
The safety protections and proposed policies announced today are based on the findings of a grand jury report issued by the state attorney general’s office under now-Governor Shapiro. That report echoes the longstanding concerns of the environmental and scientific communities – and of local residents - that fracking has serious negative health impacts on the communities that host drilling sites. The agreement announced today is a step toward addressing these urgent safety concerns, and we thank Governor Shapiro for his determination on this issue.
However, today’s announcement is only a small step in better ensuring Pennsylvanians’ constitutional right to clean air and pure water. The fact of the matter is that the worst players in the oil and gas industry will never agree to voluntary safety measures that are stringent enough to protect impacted communities. Instead, we’ve seen this industry fight with all its might to resist even the most basic safety regulations. That’s why we’re urging the legislature to respond to today’s announcement by finally acting to implement the grand jury’s recommendations across our commonwealth.
For years, powerful oil and gas companies have aligned with pro-polluting lawmakers to block critical safety legislation. It’s high time for floor votes on legislation, championed by pro-environment leaders in Harrisburg, designed to improve the safety and public health of the children and families impacted by fracking wells.
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