Freedom from Toxic Fracking Waste: National Rally Day

Frackfree America National Coalition News Release:

______________________________________________________

For Immediate Release:  August 9, 2012
Contact: Vanessa Pesec:  Phone:  440-781-6440 or E-mail:   neogap.org@gmail.com
Contact: Susie Beiersdorfer:  Phone: 234- 201-8007  or E-mail: frackfreeamerica@gmail.com ______________________________________________________

FREEDOM FROM TOXIC FRACKING WASTE:
CONCERNED CITIZENS ANNOUNCE A NATIONAL RALLY DAY

Youngstown,  Ohio, August 9, 2012 – NEOGAP (Network for Oil & Gas Accountability & Protection,  www.NEOGAP.org )  and Frackfree America National Coalition (www.frackfreeamerica.org ) are coordinating a national grassroots rally day on September 12, 2012 to help raise  public awareness of what the groups believe are serious risks to public health, safety, and well-being posed by the millions of gallons of toxic fracking waste continually produced by the shale gas and oil drilling industry.

The title of the September 12th nationwide event is: “Freedom from Toxic Fracking Waste: National Rally Day.”
On September 12, 2012 a national coalition of local coordinators and groups in communities across America will hold simultaneous rallies throughout the day to shine light on the numerous problems associated with toxic fracking waste and its disposal, including its links to earthquakes, spills, and leaks.
According to geologist Susie Beiersdorfer of Frackfree America National Coalition and Frackfree Mahoning Valley, “The public is not being fully or adequately informed of the risks of fracking and related processes to public health and safety and well-being. We are calling for increased transparency and public awareness about the truth of toxic fracking waste, which can contain naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) and numerous toxic chemicals or known carcinogens, like benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), that could find their way into drinking water sources or into soil and air via leaks, surface spills near waterways, or well casing failures.”
The groups believe that the rosy picture of drilling for oil and gas painted by slick, expensive radio and television advertisements by the gas and oil industry does not represent the real experiences of many everyday concerned citizens who live near injection wells or along the routes where fracking waste is, or will be, transported and possibly spilled. The groups say that there are too many unanswered questions about fracking waste, partially because gas and oil companies are exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act.
According to the coalition, every newly permitted fracking well will result in millions of gallons of toxic fracking wastewater being created, transported, and disposed of somewhere.  Although the fracking waste is frequently referred to by the industry or others as “brine,” “saltwater,” or “produced water,” the groups believe that these euphemistic terms are highly misleading and give the public a false sense of reassurance about the alleged safety of the fracking waste.
“The truth is that the risks imposed by the production, transport, and disposal of toxic fracking waste are creating a serious public health problem. Toxic fracking waste can expose the public to a number of chemical and radioactive carcinogens, neurotoxins, and pulmonary and cardiovascular toxins.  Children, whose immune systems are still developing, workers on drill sites, and those handling toxic fracking wastes are especially vulnerable to risks as are persons living or working near drilling sites, along toxic fracking disposal routes or at or near toxic fracking waste injection wells, ” said Vanessa Pesec of NEOGAP.
FANC and NEOGAP cite a Columbus, Ohio news story that illustrates how not knowing the components of fracking waste can put communities and first responders at unnecessary risk. They ask:  How can cities and townships effectively prepare for an emergency when they don’t know what the substance is that they are dealing with?
The groups say that even though the following news story is from Columbus, Ohio, the news report is relevant for all of the many states who face the possibility or present reality of fracking, which will result in the need to transport and dispose of waste, thereby increasing the chance for spills and leaks.
See the following highly informative NBC 4 news video and report titled “NBC4 Investigates: What’s In The Drilling Waste Water Traveling Into Ohio?” (5/23/2012).
http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2012/may/23/nbc4-investigates-whats-drilling-waste-water-trave-ar-1047008/
For media inquiries or for more information on fracking and related processes, toxic fracking waste, or how to coordinate or participate in a local rally, please sign up for free e-mail updates on the NEOGAP and Frackfree America National Coalition websites and/ or contact us by phone, website, Facebook, twitter, or e-mail:
On Facebook:
www.facebook.com/Frackfree   and
www.facebook.com/Neogap.org

For NEOGAP:

e-mail:  neogap.org@gmail.com  or call:  440-940-OGAP (6427)

www.NEOGAP.org
For Frackfree America National Coalition
e-mail:  frackfreeamerica@gmail.com or call:

 234-201-8007

 www.frackfreeamerica.org

                                                  # # #

Summer of Solidarity

RT @energyaction: From WV to TX to DC today marked the start of an unprecedented Summer of Solidarity yfrog.com/h8jgsscwj #ClimateSOS # ...
— Brittany Coyne (@STANDrocksQC) July 29, 2012

collage via RAMPSWV, photographers unknown, "All of this happened today. Beginning of a unprecedented summer of action against extraction--from WV to TX to DC."  collage here: http://yfrog.com/h8jgsscwj

Youngstown Town Hall Informational Meeting on Fracking and Injection Wells

Frackfree Mahoning Valley                                        News Release

For Immediate Release: January 30, 2012

Contact: Susie Beiersdorfer: Phone: 234-201-0402 or E-mail: frackfreemahoning [at ]gmail.com

 YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO GROUP TO DISCUSS MAN-MADE EARTHQUAKES, FRACKING, AND BRINE TOXIC WASTE INJECTION WELLS

Youngstown, Ohio - On Thursday, February 2, 2012, a group of concerned Youngstown citizens and panelists will hold an open public town hall style informational meeting to discuss and answer audience questions about the recent 4.0 magnitude Youngstown area earthquake, hydraulic fracturing (fracking) associated with shale gas drilling, and brine toxic waste injection wells. The meeting will take place at The First Unitarian Universalist Church of Youngstown, Channing Hall, at 6-8 pm at 1105 Elm St. (Elm & Illinois), Youngstown, Ohio.  Media and the general public are invited to attend.

Geology Professor Ray Beiersdorfer, Ph.D., spoke to WYTV news (1/1/12) regarding the Youngstown earthquakes and the nearby injection well’s effect of reactivating an ancient fault: “What happens is the water acts as a lubricant so they were pumping water down at about 9,000 feet, and it was working its way down in and it wound up serving as a lubricant, which then reduced the friction and we had the earthquakes.“

Dr. Beiersdorfer will be a panelist at the February 2^nd town hall as will Ohio State Representative Robert Hagan, Liberty Township Trustee Jodi Stoyak, and a citizen affected by water contamination.  Geologist Susie Beiersdorfer will moderate the meeting.

The situation in the Youngstown area has attracted extensive national and local media attention and with good reason. The December 31, 2011 earthquake shook Youngstown and was reportedly felt in several states and as far away as Ontario, Canada. The earthquake may have awakened many more citizens to the serious health and safety issues reported by those living near fracking and injection wells and reports of drinking water source contamination.  Youngstown had no recorded earthquakes before the injection well drilling. There have been twelve earthquakes since drilling began. What the Youngstown area decides to do regarding a moratorium on injection wells or fracking has far reaching implications for the entire region and the nation.

Questions to be addressed at the town hall meeting include:

What is the scientific information linking the Youngstown earthquakes and the toxic brine injection well? What is the evidence showing that the Youngstown earthquake was man-made? Will there be more earthquakes?

How does lack of local control affect infrastructure, property values, and emergency safeguards?

To date, public meetings in Youngstown regarding natural gas drilling and fracking, wastewater injection wells and the earthquakes have generally not allowed the audience and concerned citizens to freely voice their health and safety concerns and engage in dialogue about their issues. This town hall is designed to let the people speak and get some answers to their questions.

Residents from all regions are encouraged to attend.

For town hall meeting details or updates, see the Facebook event page at:

 http://www.facebook.com/events/223429007744321/ 

See the Frackfree Mahoning Valley website at:

http://www.frackfreemahoning.blogspot.com/

For media inquiries or more information, e-mail:  frackfreemahoning@gmail.com