Marcellus Shale Coalition Expands Its Philadelphia Outreach Efforts

Senator Anthony Williams pretended to be pro-environmental, but then voted in favor of Act 13, a sellout anti-environmental and anti-democratic law which is so unconstitutional that the Commonwealth Court just struck its key pre-emption clause down as unconstitutional. We, his constituents, failed until now to hold his feet to the fire for that terrible vote. But it’s never too late. Sen. Williams must be made to understand that regardless of where his wife works, and regardless of his public posturing, his lack of integrity and his willingness to sell out to the gas industry has been noted. He claims to have been manipulated by Sen. Scarnati, who reportedly used the bludgeon of a threat to de-fund Philadelphia schools, into voting in favor of Act 13. Sen. Williams’ absurd “manipulation defense” (“I’m not responsible for how I actually voted, because Senator Scarnati bullied me!”) shows that he is of poor character. Now his wife is not only working for the industry but actually working to specifically spin propaganda for the industry, attempting to fool Philadelphians into thinking fracking is just nirvana for health, climate, air, water and the economy.

Philadelphians, however, are not so easily fooled. The leadership on Philadelphia City Council to protect the Delaware River Basin from fracking has been profound and solid. The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote an editorial in favor of maintaining the Delaware River Basin moratorium. Neshaminy Creek was already polluted by fracking wastewater, even with the moratorium in place, which was a wake-up to residents that we are not immune to fracking chemicals in our drinking water — we all live downstream. Meanwhile, we need our state legislators to fight FOR — not against, but FOR the people of Pennsylvania, some of whom have gotten severely sick and many of whom have had to watch hundreds of their animals die due to fracking chemical exposure.

With 95 percent of the fracking this industry wants to do in PA yet to come, this horse is not out of the barn. There is nothing inevitable about fracking — but it is inevitable that those who sell out, will continue to sell out unless they are confronted in no uncertain terms. Tell Sen. Williams what you think about his vote in favor of Act 13, which silences physicians and forces them to do the industry’s bidding by keeping its toxic secrets about the biocides, neurotoxins, carcinogens and endocrine disruptors they pour into water — and into air — into our lungs, into our future.

Don’t want to welcome the Marcellus Shale frackers to Philadelphia? Come on out to Shale Gas Outrage from 12 – 2 on September 20th, outside the fracking convention, on Arch Street. We guarantee you will have a better time, learn more, and do more good outside at a major rally to protect air, water, human and animal health, farms and foodsheds, climate and communities.