Community leaders ask Rep. Doggett to protect Texans from fracking
On Friday, more than 50 elected officials, environmental and business leaders, academics and health professionals wrote Congressman Lloyd Doggett (Austin) urging him to help protect Texans from the worst impacts of fracking by co-sponsoring the CLEANER Act, which would close the loophole that exempts fracking from key provisions of the nation's hazardous waste laws. The letter follows.
On Friday, more than 50 elected officials, environmental and business leaders, academics and health professionals wrote Congressman Lloyd Doggett (Austin) urging him to help protect Texans from the worst impacts of fracking by co-sponsoring the CLEANER Act, which would close the loophole that exempts fracking from key provisions of the nation’s hazardous waste laws. The letter follows.
May 9, 2014
The Honorable Lloyd Doggett
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Congressman Doggett,
As Austin, San Marcos, and San Antonio environmental and neighborhood leaders, health professionals, local elected officials, academics and small business owners, we are deeply concerned about high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) and its growing threats to our environment and public health. We urge you to co-sponsor HR 2825, the CLEANER Act, to close the loopholes that exempt fracking from key provisions of our nation’s hazardous waste law.
Natural gas production, including fracking, produces an enormous amount of hazardous waste, including chemically laden waters from deep underground, naturally occurring radioactive material, and toxic fracking fluids that flow back to the surface. Hundreds of chemicals and other dangerous substances can be used in fracking fluid, many of them toxic and some of them known carcinogens. Fracking operations in Texas produced 260 billion gallons of toxic waste in 2012 alone.
As a result of inadequate or nonexistent regulations, fracking wastes are often mismanaged. Gas companies frequently store hazardous waste in open pits, which, if poorly constructed, can leak wastes into the surrounding land. Open pits are also liable to overflow, especially in rain-prone areas. According to the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District in North Texas, open pits of drilling mud waste contaminated four family water wells in Montague County in 2011.
Texas’ thousands of deep disposal wells are a common destination for fracking waste, but these wells can also fail over time, allowing the wastewater and its pollutants to mix with groundwater or surface water. The Railroad Commission of Texas has acknowledged that wastewater injection into a disposal well contaminated the Cenozoic Pecos Alluvium Aquifer with 6.2 billion gallons of water near Midland. And now, there is growing evidence that disposal of fracking waste deep underground is responsible for the recent increase in earthquakes in Texas.
However, oil and gas companies lobbied to have their waste exempted from key provisions of the nation’s hazardous waste law, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, even though it is often laced with cancer-causing and even radioactive material. As a result, their disposal sites face weaker standards and fewer inspections than if their waste was designated hazardous. Nor are they subject to the same earthquake testing rules.
Meanwhile, well operators often violate safety regulations, increasing the risk of fluid leakage and the threat of water contamination. According to a ProPublica analysis, the Railroad Commission of Texas issued one violation for every three wells examined in 2010. But most facilities aren’t inspected regularly, and if fines are issued at all, they’re generally very low.
In their review of the agency, the Texas Sunset Commission wrote, “Part of the reason for the large number of violations is that the Commission’s enforcement process is not structured to deter repeat violations.”
With the state of Texas failing to protect us, we need the federal government to act to protect communities in Texas from fracking.
For the sake of Texas’ environment, drinking water, and health, we urge you to cosponsor and work to pass H.R. 2825, the CLEANER Act, introduced by Rep. Matt Cartwright, which would close the loophole that exempts fracking from key provisions of our nation’s hazardous waste law
Sincerely,
Environmental Leaders Elected Officials
Luke Metzger The Honorable Mike Martinez
Director, Environment Texas Austin City Council
Austin Austin
Margaret Day The Honorable Chris Riley
Chair, Alamo Sierra Club Austin City Council
San Antonio Austin
Tom “Smitty” Smith The Honorable Laura Morrison
Director, Public Citizen’s Texas office Austin City Council
Austin Austin
Andrew Sansom The Honorable Dawnna Dukes
Executive Director, Meadows Center for Texas House of Representatives
Water and the Environment Austin
San Marcos
The Honorable Eddie Rodriguez
David Weinberg Texas House of Representatives
Executive Director, Texas League of Austin
Conservation Voters
Health Professionals
Annalisa Peace Vincent P. Fonseca, MD, MPH, FACPM
Executive Director, Greater Edwards Former Texas State Epidemiologist
Aquifer Alliance San Antonio
San Antonio
Lanny Sinkin Trish O’Day – MSN, RN, CNS
Executive Director, Solar San Antonio Co-President – Texas Physicians for Social
San Antonio Responsibility
Austin
Alyssa Burgin Chris Masey
Executive Director, Texas Drought Project Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility
San Antonio Austin
Bill Bunch Dr. Charles Anderson
Executive Director, Save Our Springs Alliance San Marcos
Austin
Dr. Bryan and Susan Roberts
David Foster West Lake Hills
Texas Director, Clean Water Action
Austin Dr. Arthur Rolland Fellows
Austin
Rev. Tom VandeStadt
Co-Chair, Interfaith Environmental Network Katharina Hathaway MD
of Austin Board member, Physicians for Social
Austin Responsibility Texas Chapter
Austin
Karen Hadden
Executive Director, Sustainable Energy and Community leaders
Economic Development Coalition Jo Karr Tedder
Austin President, Central Texas Water Coalition
Austin
Sara E. Smith, J.D.
Program Director, Texas Public Interest J.D. Gins
Research Group (TexPIRG) Executive Director, Travis County
Austin Democratic Party
Austin
John Nikolatos
President, Native Plant Society of Edward Reyes
Texas – San Antonio President, Dove Springs Neighborhood
San Antonio Association
Austin
Brandi Clark Burton
Founder & Chief Inspiration Officer, Graciela Isabel Sanchez
Austin EcoNetwork & EcoNetworking Director, Esperanza Peace & Justice Center
Austin San Antonio
Robin Schneider Ruth F. Stewart
Executive Director, Texas Campaign for the Bexar County Democratic Women
Environment San Antonio
Austin
Anna Graybeal & Susan Adams Robert W. Miller
Austin Citizens Climate Lobby Chair, North East Bexar County Democrats
Austin San Antonio
Stephen Beers Jacob Middleton
President, Save Barton Creek Association Chair, Northwest Democrats of
Austin Bexar County
San Antonio
Ilan Levin
Environmental Integrity Project Rachell Tucker
Austin Co-Chair, Bexar County Green Party
President, Students United for
Cynthia Wheeler Socioeconomic Justice
Spokesperson, Energía Mía San Antonio
San Antonio
Mary Ingle
Kathy Glass & Mobi Warren President, Austin Neighborhoods Council
350.org San Antonio Austin
San Antonio
Business Leaders
Ethan Thomas Howley Hugh Fitzsimons
President, UT Fossil Free President, Shape Ranch
Austin San Antonio
Academic Leaders Hill Abell
Prof. Christy Woodward Kaupert President, Bicycle Sport Shop
San Antonio College, Political Science Austin
San Antonio
Richard Luciano
Sabrina Hammel President, R2 Ranch
Government Instructor and Faculty Austin
Senate President
San Antonio College Austin Van Zant
San Antonio Owner, Redbud Roasters
San Marcos
Richard Reed, PhD
Professor and Director, Environmental Lorie Solis and Skeets Rapier
Studies Program, Trinity University The Renewable Republic
San Antonio San Antonio
Kelly G. Lyons, PhD Michele Petty
Associate Professor, Department of Biology Law Offices of Michele Petty
Trinity University San Antonio
San Antonio
Authors
Luke Metzger
Executive Director, Environment Texas
As the executive director of Environment Texas, Luke is a leading voice in the state for clean air, clean water, clean energy and open space. Luke has led successful campaigns to win permanent protection for the Christmas Mountains of Big Bend; to compel Exxon, Shell and Chevron Phillips to cut air pollution at three Texas refineries and chemical plants; and to boost funding for water conservation, renewable energy and state parks. The San Antonio Current has called Luke "long one of the most energetic and dedicated defenders of environmental issues in the state." He has been named one of the "Top Lobbyists for Causes" by Capitol Inside, received the President's Award from the Texas Recreation and Parks Society for his work to protect Texas parks, and was chosen for the inaugural class of "Next Generation Fellows" by the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at UT Austin. Luke, his wife, son and daughters are working to visit every state park in Texas.