WATERFORALL: URGENT ACTION NEEDED--Sign On to Protect Public Health

[Guest guest]

Wed, 22 Jun 2005 09:31:51 -0400

" Sara Grusky " <sgrusky

[WATERFORALL] URGENT ACTION NEEDED--Sign On to Protect Public

Health

 

 

URGENT ACTION NEEDED--Sign On to Protect Public Health

 

News from Public Citizen's Water For All Campaign

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Dear Friends,

Long-standing protections for drinking water could be at risk as the

U.S. Senate debates amendments to the Energy Bill this week and next.

A responsible national energy policy would not jeopardize the health

and safety of America's waters, but already this year the Energy Bill

passed by the U.S. House of Representatives contains special interest

amendments that sacrifice protections for our waters.

 

Your action is essential to keep similar anti-clean water provisions

out of the Senate version of the bill.

 

TAKE ACTION: In addition to signing the attached letter please tell

your Senators that your organization opposes any amendment or

provision in the Senate Energy Bill that would:

 

 

THREATEN DRINKING WATER SOURCES BY EXEMPTING HYDRAULIC FRACTURING

FLUIDS FROM SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT REGULATIONS:

Senator Inhofe (R-OK) is considering offering an amendment to the

Energy Bill that would exempt a toxic cocktail of chemicals used in

oil and gas drilling from safe drinking water regulations. This

amendment – like a provision already in the House Energy Bill, would

say that these hydraulic drilling fluids are not to be considered

" contaminants " under the Safe Drinking Water Act – even though that is

exactly what they are. Please ask your Senators to oppose any

amendment to exempt these fluids from federal regulations because:

 

• Hydraulic fracturing fluids, including diesel fuel and other

chemicals such as benzene, toluene and zylene, may be injected

directly into or leak into underground sources of drinking water

during oil and gas development to prop open fractures.

• Exempting the discharge of these toxic fluids into groundwater

would endanger drinking water sources and threaten public health.

• It is critical that the federal government retains the ability to

enact safeguards to ensure that hydraulic fracturing does not degrade

water quality.

 

 

SHIELD MTBE PRODUCERS FROM LIABILITY FOR CONTAMINATION OF DRINKING

WATER SUPPLIES.

 

While the current version of the Senate bill does not include the

unacceptable MTBE liability waiver, we anticipate efforts to reinsert

this objectionable provision when the bill reaches conference. Ask

your Senators to oppose any provisions or amendments that shield the

MTBE industry from liability for the pollution of drinking water

sources and limit the tools available to communities facing

groundwater contamination.

 

 

ATTACK THE PROTECTION GIVEN TO US WATERS BY THE CLEAN WATER ACT:

 

The current version of the Senate bill does not contain the House's

unwarranted exemption for stormwater runoff for oil and gas

construction sites. The exemption would mean that the oil and gas

industry would not be required to have Clean Water Act stormwater

control permits for constructing roads, drill pads, pipeline

corridors, refineries, compressor stations and other facilities.

However, Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) may offer an amendment on the

Senate floor that would match the House exemption. Please ask your

Senators to oppose such an amendment, and let them know that:

• The water quality of nearby lakes, rivers, and streams, including

drinking water sources, is threatened by sediment and other

pollutants in stormwater run-off that pours off oil and gas

construction sites and into these waters.

• EPA states that an average of 30,000 gas construction activities

start each year.

• There is no reason to exempt oil and gas companies from Clean Water

Act pollution controls that other construction activities are required

to follow.

 

If your organization is interested in signing on to the attached

letter please send an e-mail to Julia Krall, Campaign for Safe and

Affordable Drinking Water Coordinator at jkrall with

your name, title, organization name, city and state by Noon on

Wednesday, June 22nd.

 

To find your Senators' contact information, visit www.congress.org, or

call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. Ask to be contacted to

your Senators' offices. Tell the receptionist you are a constituent

and that you want to speak with the Senator or the legislative staff

that handles energy issues.

 

Our apologies for the short notice. We will do our best to keep you

updated on this issue. Your continued support will be needed as this

legislation moves forward.

 

Thank you in advance!

 

Julia Krall, Coordinator

Campaign for Safe and Affordable Drinking Water

4455 Connecticut Ave., NW

Suite A300-16

Washington, DC 20008

202-895-0432 ext. 135 (Office)

240-285-7965 (Mobile)

202-895-0438 (Fax)

www.safe-drinking-water.org

 

This message (including any attachments) is intended only for the use

of the person(s) to whom it is addressed, and may contain information

this is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under

applicable law. If you receive this communication in error, please

notify me immediately by e-mail, telephone or fax and delete the

original message from our records.

Thank you.

 

Sara Grusky

Water for All Campaign

Public Citizen

Phone: (202) 454-5133

Website: www.wateractivist.org

 

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