Please sign and share this petition worldwide to tell the EPA they need to stop killing birds and other wildlife by inappropriate disposal of oil in wastewater pits.
It is reported that thousands of birds in Hutchinson County, Texas stopped at a 22 acre watering pond that was poisonous and maintained by Phillips 66. Majority of the birds at the watering hole died. Phillips 66 is trying to put an emergency plan into effect to deter the birds from the pond with a boat and air horns but birds are still dying. The fracking wastewater is not only harming the wildlife but threatening people’s health as well.
This wastewater contains things like salts, oil and grease, metals, radioactive material, and manmade fracking chemicals. These pollutants can be dangerous if they’re released into the environment or if people are exposed to them. They can be toxic to humans and aquatic life, radioactive, or corrosive. They can damage ecosystem health or interact with disinfectants at drinking water plants to form cancer-causing chemicals. Yet, disturbingly, we’ve dumped this wastewater into our rivers and drinking water sources without removing harmful contaminants. We’ve spread it on icy roads, where it runs off into nearby waterways or seeps into groundwater. In fact, reports show that none of the most common ways of dealing with this waste are currently safe for public health, wildlife or the environment.
It’s clear that new or expanded fracking should not be allowed until we have better, safer solutions for dealing with the wastewater. Stronger safeguards are critical to help protect against the risks associated with this waste. Companies like Phillips 66 need to stop contaminating the wastewater pits, putting human lives and health at risk along with killing so much wildlife like the hundreds of birds lost each year.
Each year, an estimated 500,000 to 1 million birds are killed in oil-industry wastewater pits that are teeming with toxic chemicals. The pits attract migratory birds, as well as bats, insects, small mammals, and even big game. But because of a loophole, the oil industry doesn't have to treat wastewater from fracking operations like a toxic chemical. The Environment Protection Agency needs to get involved in designating wastewater as toxic.
These birds will continue to be poisoned until the deadly water in these pits is considered hazardous and companies are forced to make them safe.
Please sign and share this petition worldwide to tell the EPS to get involved in designating these wastewater pits as toxic and poisonous so they can stop killing birds and other wildlife.
