In the past two years, the natural gas industry has recklessly endangered the safety of Pennsylvania's waterways. Just this September, thousands of gallons of dangerous fluids, like diesel fuel and hydrochloric acid, have been spilled in multiple incidents in our state. Sadly, that's just the beginning when it comes to kind of accidents that have endangered our environment and our health.

Take action now: Ask your Representative to support critical legislation that would protect Pennsylvania's water from drillers.

Tell your State Senator: A year is too long to wait for safe drinking water!

On Earth Day 2009, eighteen Pennsylvania State Senators introduced SB 777, state legislation that would protect rivers, streams, and aquifers (groundwater) that supply our public drinking water. The list of co-sponsors has grown to 22 including 4 members of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.

Almost a year later, State Senator Mary Jo White, Chair of the Committee, has still not scheduled the Safer Drinking Water Act for a vote.  Take action now: Tell your State Senator to ask Sen. White to schedule a vote on the Safer Drinking Water Act.

Roughly 70 percent of Pennsylvania sits atop the Marcellus Shale formation with an estimated 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas worth about $500 billion. The oil and gas industry wants to earn millions of dollars more by extracting the natural gas by the quickest method possible. Thousands of gallons of local-source freshwater are needed in the process. The contaminated wastewater then needs to be discarded and currently there are no rules on how that should be done.

Support a tax on natural gas drilling!

Tell Gov. Rendell and your legislators that opening Pennsylvania's wilderness to more natural gas exploration is unacceptable.
Take action now

In the budget deal agreed upon by Senate Leaders and the Governor last Friday, the state is mandated to lease approximately 100,000 acres of our most pristine forests for natural gas exploration.

Make no mistake, natural gas exploration will wreck these areas for hiking, fishing, hunting and the other outdoor activities. Drilling operatios will clearcut wide swaths through the forest and huge well pads, and they won't replace the trees when they are done.

Energy doesn't have to mean pollution

Take action now!

Currently, Pennsylvania makes electricity suppliers buy some of their power from renewable sources. The amount is very small, but we have a chance to increase it.

Right now, House Bill 80 is a bill that would commit our state to providing almost a fifth of its power from truly renewable sources by 2024 as well as more than double our commitment to solar power in the same time frame.

This would be a very exciting development, one that closely mirrors the progress envisioned in Federal Climate Legislation, except one problem: the current draft of the legislation could wipe out all that progress by giving the coal industry a good reason to build a brand new coal power plant.

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is considering an application to permit one million gallons of water withdrawal per day from the Delaware River. This water would be used to force natural gas out of wells very deep in the ground.

Over half of the water would have to be disposed of afterward, but these millions of gallons of water will be so polluted that there’s no good way to safely treat the water and re-release it back into the environment.

Additionally, transportation of this water will require approximately 200 diesel truck trips per day, further adding to the particulate and CO2 pollution in northern Pennsylvania.

On July 1, 2009 the Allegheny County Board of Health voted 8 to 1 to indefinitely postpone updating the guidelines they use to issue permits for industry to release toxics (Air Toxics Guidelines). The current guidelines are over 20 years old and are based on science that is probably 30 years old. The Board passed the buck and said they would wait until the State of Pennsylvania develops new regulations.

The Health Department took this action even though our air is unhealthy. We have received four failing report cards on our air quality:

On Earth Day, eighteen Pennsylvania State Senators introduced SB 777, state legislation that would protect rivers, streams, and aquifers (groundwater) that supply our public drinking water. This bill, the Safer Drinking Water Act, will provide special protection to any water that supplies the public with its drinking water.

Take Action Now: Urge your State Senator to support the Safer Drinking Water Act and push for a vote in the senate.

We need your help to flood your legislators with letters and faxes urging him to support 100 foot stream buffers on all streams in Pennsylvania.

Instead of supporting Clean Water Action's proposal to require at least 100 foot buffers on all streams in our state, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is now proposing just a voluntary program. They would encourage developers to include buffers on their sites by agreeing to eliminate state review of stormwater plans that include buffers.

What's wrong with a voluntary buffers program?

Pennsylvania has more miles of polluted waterways that any other state in the nation. Help Springfield Township enact a proposal to curb this disturbing trend. Science has shown that buffer zones along streams protect our waterways from sedimentation, non-point source pollution, flash flooding and ultimately lower costs associated with the treatment of drinking water.

New Jersey currently has mandatory buffer protections throughout the state, Pennsylvania has not yet enacted a statewide policy on this issue. We urge individual municipalities and residents to set the example and approve the best methods to control water quality in their own backyards.

We need your help to flood Governor Rendell with letters and faxes urging him to support 100 foot stream buffers on all streams in Pennsylvania.

Instead of supporting Clean Water Action's proposal to require at least 100 foot buffers on all streams in our state, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is now proposing just a voluntary program. They would encourage developers to include buffers on their sites by agreeing to eliminate state review of stormwater plans that include buffers.

What's wrong with a voluntary buffers program?

On September 3rd, 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the addition of the BoRit Asbestos Site, located by the Wissahickon Creek at the intersection of Whitpain Township, Upper Dublin Township and Ambler Borough, to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL).

Pennsylvanians get their drinking water from our state's more than 83,000 miles of waterways, acres of lakes, reservoirs and wetlands, and a natural system of underground aquifers.

Unfortunately, many of these vital water sources have been contaminated or are at risk of contamination.

Despite their importance, drinking water sources receive no special protection from pollution and polluting activities in Pennsylvania! Without action, our drinking water sources are in danger.