Join us for Berks Gas Truth’s organizing meeting on Thursday, March 9 at 7 p.m. at 1251 Front Street, Reading 19601. We’ve got lots to discuss — pipelines, power plants, People’s Climate March, and more!
Agenda:
Introductions
Announcements (see below)
Quick Group Project
DRBC Moratorium
DTE Pipeline/Birdsboro Power Plant
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
March 14: Tell Attorney General Shapiro to Investigate the DEP
Pennsylvanians Against Fracking is supporting Public Herald’s call for PA Attorney General Josh Shapiro to investigate the DEP in the wake of its findings of malfeasance, misfeasance, and negligence in the thousands of fracking-related complaints the agency has received.
Organizations, sign the coalition letter to AG Shapiro to be delivered on 3/14
Individuals, sign and share our petition that will also be delivered on 3/14
Take part in our call-in day on 3/14 and invite your friends make calls, too. If you’re not on FB, but would like to invite your friends, here’s the information you can share with them:
Join the call-in to Attorney General Josh Shapiro on March 14 to demand that he investigates the DEP.
Call 866-946-1451 early and often on March 14th!
New information from a team of investigative journalists at Public Herald shows Department of Environmental Protection has systematically handled fracking-related complaints with misconduct.
Investigators fought with DEP for three years to obtain information on fracking-related complaints. What they uncovered is jarring. DEP has received over 9,400 complaints related to gas and oil impact. Within this data, the Public Herald alleges to have identified at least 177 water contamination investigations wherein DEP committed one or more of three types of official misconduct: malfeasance, misfeasance, and negligence.
Pursuing this potential criminal activity is the responsibility of the Office of the Attorney General.
*** We mentioned on the call this evening that you can make a short video that will be edited together with others making their own that we’ll use on Tuesday to promote the call in day
Here are scripts for individuals or organizations.
I’m _________________ from _________________. I’m calling Attorney General Shapiro now! Make the call!
We are XXX and we’re calling Attorney General Shapiro now! Make the call!
That’s all there is to it! When you’ve finished recording, email your videos to Sam Bernhardt at sbernhardt@fwwatch.org. Please get them to Sam by close of business on Friday to give the videographer time to do the editing!
To read the full Public Herald report, visit publicherald.org.
March 15: Say NO to Fracking in the Delaware River Basin
Find organizational and individual sign on letters and information about escalting actions to send a strong message to the Delaware River Basin Commission that it’s time to ban fracking in the basin at .
March 21: Take a Deep Breath pilot on BCTV
Watch the pilot of the show Chuck Gallagher and Karen Feridun will host on BCTV at 9 p.m.
March 23: Berks Progressives for Truth and Justice
Join the meeting at 1251 Front Street, Reading, 19601 – BGT participates in the environmental committee
March 25: Berks Progressive Volunteers in Action
BGT leads an environmental breakout at these meetings that are held in different locations throughout Berks. The location of the next meeting will be posted here when it’s announced, but it will begin at 9:30 a.m.
March 26: Citizen Activism 101
Karen Feridun will speak on protest on a panel hosted by Indivisible Berks, First UU Church, 416 Franklin Street Reading
April 1: Wolf Town Hall
Location TBD. Organizations fighting the PennEast pipeline will invite Governor Wolf to address questions about the state’s premature permitting of natural gas pipelines. It is the first of several town halls we’re planning across the state.
April 17: Penn State Berks Earth Day screening and panel discussion
Karen Feridun will speak about fracking, climate, and energy policy as a panelist after the film Dirty Business at 7 p.m. Location TBD.
April 19: Bill McKibben at Northampton Community College
Free event featuring the founder of 350.org. Reserve seats here.
April 22: March for Science
Marches in D.C. and across the country. Details here.
April 22: People’s Climate March
BGT is hosting a bus to the Washington, D.C. march. Sister marches are being planned across the country. BGT’s bus leaves from Penn State Berks where riders can park their cars at 7 a.m. Tickets are $30, but some free tickets are available for those who can comfortably afford $30. We’ve also provided a donation button for those who would like to contribute to the purchase of a seat for someone needing a free ticket. Reserve seats here. More details to come about our bus trip. Find details about the march here.
Engage in Pipeline and Infrastructure Fights
In recent weeks, the Atlantic Sunrise, Rover, and Northern Access Pipelines were approved by FERC and the Mariner East II natural gas liquid line and the PennEast pipeline received water permits from the PA DEP. Across the state, communities are fighting cracker plants, natural gas power plants, and other dirty energy infrastructure. Encampments are being established by communities fighting the Atlantic Sunrise and Mariner East II pipelines. For more information on how to connect with these fights, email us at berksgastruth@gmail.com.