Our allies in Scotland sent this letter to Governor Wolf today!<\/p>\n
Frackwatch
\nc\/o 3 Parkhill Drive
\nLochwinnoch
\nPA12 4EN<\/p>\n
November 20, 2017<\/p>\n
Governor Thomas Wolf
\nOffice of the Governor
\n508 Main Capitol Building
\nHarrisburg, PA 17120<\/p>\n
Dear Governor Wolf,<\/p>\n
Shipments via the Mariner East Pipeline and vessels across the Atlantic to Scotland
\nGreetings to you and all in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, cradle of American
\ndemocracy.<\/p>\n
We write to you as a group of concerned Scottish citizens. Our group helped to secure a ban
\non Unconventional Gas Extraction in Scotland. The Scottish Government listened to the
\nconcerns of communities and acted on those. 60,000 individuals and groups responded to a
\npublic consultation and around 99% opposed unconventional gas extraction. The majority
\nwere people living in areas that would be affected by this dirty industry. The claims of local
\neconomic benefit did not convince them. This was democracy in action.<\/p>\n
We are delighted our government heard the voice of the people. But at the same time we\u2019re
\nconcerned because Scotland is a major importer of fracked gas from Pennsylvania. INEOS,
\nbased at Grangemouth, has a 15-year contract to buy gas, which is transported through the
\nMariner East pipeline to Marcus Hook and across the ocean in giant ships.<\/p>\n
This is nothing to do with a secure energy supply for Scotland; it is a feedstock for INEOS\u2019
\nplastics production.<\/p>\n
We are in touch with groups representing the concerns of citizens in Pennsylvania who also
\ndon’t want fracking; nor do they want fracked gas to be transported in pipelines near to
\nwhere they live, work and go to school, and through precious parkland and countryside and in
\nsome cases, across their own private land. Please listen to them.
\nLeakages from pipelines are happening across the US with growing frequency as a result of
\nthe fracking boom.<\/p>\n
Your own Department of Environmental Protection has had to issue Sunoco, operator of the
\nMariner East pipeline, with four Notices of Violation, one consent order and one fine for
\ndozens of drilling mud spills that occurred along the length of the Mariner East 2 pipeline
\nconstruction project, causing water-contamination incidents. The DEP also published a list of
\n49 incidents, as well as copies of the Notices of Violations. There have also been leakages of
\nethane gas from operational pipelines just this year. Precious water and land are being
\npolluted and it is not possible to regulate pipelines to be safe or clean.<\/p>\n
We also completely condemn this import-export industry, because it is contributing to climate
\nchange and we know you share our concerns about that.<\/p>\n
There is also a global problem with plastic pollution. We are over-producing plastics and not
\nrecycling enough of them, with the result that oceans and waterways are being choked up
\nwith throw-away plastic destroying the marine environment, foundation of life on earth. The
\ntransfer of fracked gas is enabling this.<\/p>\n
We also think it is very undemocratic for people to be prevented from denying corporations,
\npermission to construct pipelines across their private land. This is being done using PA laws
\nmeant to permit developments in the public interest. The public interest is not the same as the
\ninterests of private companies. We believe you are not one of those politicians who believe the
\ntwo are identical \u2013 but in the case of pipelines, that is what is happening in your State.<\/p>\n
When future generations consider our social and political contribution, they will not forgive
\nthose who did not act to halt extreme energy extraction, toxic pollution of land and water, and
\nthe sacrifice of people\u2019s health for the sake of profits. We would urge you to start supporting
\nthose who are defending Pennsylvania from the effects of this dirty industry and also the
\nrights of people to protect their own land and homes.<\/p>\n
Pennsylvania is often our thoughts, because of the libraries and community arts centres
\nendowed by the Carnegie Foundation. Andrew Carnegie was a giant of his time, a baron of
\nsteel \u2013 but steel is no longer key to the economy of your state or ours. Scotland and
\nPennsylvania suffered in recent decades from economies trapped in old technologies \u2013fossil
\nfuels and plastics are increasingly in that category. We should not repeat mistakes of the past,
\nbut support jobs and growth from clean technologies with a future.<\/p>\n
We hope you will respond positively to our concerns. We raise our glasses \u2013 of good whisky
\nmade with our pristine water \u2013 to your continuing recovery and health and the health of all
\nPennsylvanians.<\/p>\n
Yours sincerely,<\/p>\n
Penny Cole
\nChair,
\nfor the members of Frackwatch<\/p>\n