Dear Friend,

As early as today, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives could vote on House Bill 1144, an unprecedented rollback of environmental protections across the state. 

HB 1144, and its companion bill in the state Senate called SB 534, would significantly change environmental requirements for conventional oil and gas drilling operators, putting Pennsylvanians’ clean air and pure water in jeopardy.

As currently written, HB 1144 and SB 534:

• Promote toxic drilling fluids and wastewater from gas extraction to be used on our roads, which threatens the health and safety of surface waters nearby. Most drilling takes place in rural areas, which is also where many of Pennsylvania’s highest quality streams and headwaters are located.
• Limit protections for public resources like parks, forests, and wildlife.
• Roll back public health protections, including industrial compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act standards, and weakening spill reporting requirements.
• Open the door to more conventional drilling operations across Pennsylvania, which further endangers our water and air.

The time is NOW to urge your elected officials to safeguard our air and water and not to cater to the interests of conventional oil and gas drillers.

Your action is needed now. Contact your state representative and urge them to VOTE NO on rolling back Pennsylvania’s environmental protections and NO to House Bill 1144 and Senate Bill 534!