March 16, 2015
This week, the Maryland Legislature will make a key decision on whether to place a moratorium on fracking until 2023, so that further studies can be done on the possible health risks.
Tell your legislators to support the moratorium.
With most issues, there are gains and losses. The question becomes -- is the potential gain worth the potential loss? When it comes to fracking, Marylanders need to ask themselves:
What could we gain? And what could we lose?
Fracking is a violent process that shoots millions of gallons of chemical-laced water deep into the earth to release shale gas, polluting the air, water, and land. These chemicals can leak into adjacent water tables contaminating water supplies, carbon dioxide can be emitted in the drilling process, and reports of multiple health issues have emerged from states that currently allow fracking. Potential health risks may be serious and/or irreversible; included among these are birth defects, low birth weight infants, and respiratory illnesses.
Tell your legislators to support the moratorium. Click: http://tinyurl.com/dontfrackmaryland
What could Maryland gain? We could possibly gain some jobs, for a finite amount of time. Eventual clean-up operations include jobs. But oil and gas companies have the most to gain.
But what could we lose? Once fracking contamination occurs, there is no turning back. Health risks, climate change, contaminated wells. We could lose small businesses in western MD where hundreds of business owners have protested fracking. We could lose property values and tourism dollars, which is why Garrett County realtors support the moratorium. But more importantly, we could lose our right as Maryland residents to clean air and clean water.
This is why the Sierra Club, and 75 public health, environmental, and community organizations, support an 8 year moratorium on fracking. But will the legislature agree?
Tell your legislators: Support the moratorium.
Don't wait to see just how much we can lose.
In partnership,
Meagan Braganca
Chair, Howard County Sierra Club
Josh Tulkin
Chapter Director, Maryland Sierra Club