Stop All U.S. Unregulated Natural Gas Drilling
- by: gaswells.org
- recipient: All the Federally elected officials of the United States of America.
We are very passionate about the effects this natural gas industry is having on the health of United States citizens. Education is power, and many of these facts are available by searching the internet for gas wells, natural gas drilling,or go to www.gaswells.org.The federal government put laws in place to protect our environment and the health and lives of U.S. citizens. The Natural Gas Industry is allowed sweeping environmental exemptions from these EPA, HAZMAT and OSHA laws. These exemptions are known as "The Halliburton Loophole." This has given the gas industry carte blanche to obtain United States land leaving toxic air, water, soil and human devastation in their wake.
Click on the letter link to the left to read the entire petition.
The Natural Gas Industry, IS:
- Exempt from Federal CCERCLA - they do not have to report hazardous substance releases to our neighborhoods.
- Exempt from the Federal EPCRA - This industry does not have to report to emergency personnel what chemicals they are being exposed to during an emergency. According to one natural gas company, firefighters will be dispatched from as far away as 2 hours to fight any fires if on site personnel cannot control them. Local firefighters informed us they do not go near these fires except to try to protect the perimeters. A nurse nearly lost her life after coming in contact with a patient from a drill site covered in fracing fluids.
- Exempt from the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. No protection for our nature preserves or national forests.
- Exempt from the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act - Cases of contaminated drinking water are too numerous to site in this petition.
- Exempt from the Federal Clean Water Act - Many cases of aquifer contamination have been documented. Some natural streams are so toxic they are bubbling natural gas and can be ignited with a match.
- Exempt from the Federal Clean Air Act - Air Quality studies have been conducted and in one town highly dangerous levels of benzene was found near all seven gas wells tested. Sixteen volatile organic chemicals exceeded safety screening limits. Many compounds exceeded short and long term safety screening limits. Keep in mind Long term only means one year! A two year research study has just concluded that in shale areas asthma is 3-4 times the national average. Benzene was found years ago in the air around these gas wells. This fact is now reaching national proportions.
None of these exemptions are acceptable to any citizen who is educated about the health risks involved with the current practices used to supply a need for fossil fuel. We (as a country) need to find alternative methods for energy, and stand firm in making the current practices safe for all citizens. The very least acceptable action is to abolish all of these exemptions, and regulate the natural gas industry.
We the citizens of The United States of America do hereby present this petition to ALL the Federally elected officials of the United States of America to block all future natural gas well permits being requested by the natural gas industry in the United States of America until this industry complies with all EPA, Hazmat and OSHA regulations put in place to protect United States citizens.
This is a passionate plea to preserve the health of our families and the value of our homes. This industry claims exemption from disclosing their use of toxic chemicals because they say it is a trade secret, like "Coca Cola." The chemicals they use are highly toxic.
We are not talking about drinking a soft drink over dinner, we are talking about dying from leukemia, neuromuscular diseases and acute asthma attacks. We are talking about losing the value of our homes. Not being able to sell our homes if it is too close to a gas well because FHA no longer will lend money to homebuyers for homes too close to gas wells. Being limited or not being able to obtain homeowners insurance. Being subject to having to evacuate our homes because of an explosion or being injured from an explosion.
The natural gas industry and government officials are knowingly risking the lives of our families and the values of our homes. They are putting everyone including emergency workers and medical personnel surrounding these gas wells at very high risk. The gas in the gas gathering pipelines is scent free so if there is a leak there is no way for a citizen to know until someone lights a match. They are especially compromising the health of the many children and elderly who live in the United States.
Many of the damages that have already occurred are irreversible. We don't have time to wait for more studies. Human beings are already sick and dying. The time has come for a moratorium on all further natural gas drilling until they are fully regulated and compliant with all United States laws.
WE, THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA STAND UNITED AGAINST ANY FURTHER NATURAL GAS WELL PERMITS. WE STAND UNITED TO LIFT ALL EXEMPTIONS ON CURRENT GAS WELLS AND CLEAN THEM UP. TO BE ALLOWED TO BE FREE FROM THE DANGERS THIS INDUSTRY IS POSING TO THE HEALTH OF OUR FAMILIES VIA TOXINS IN THE AIR, WATER, AND LAND. TO BE FREE FROM DANGEROUS EXPLOSIONS AND EVACUATIONS AND TO BE ALLOWED TO BE FREE FROM DISTURBANCE OF OUR PEACE AND TO PRESERVE THE VALUE OF OUR HOMES.
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