To: Jim Gray
Ban Fracking in Lexington
Jim Gray, we're calling on you to ban fracking in Lexington, KY now!
Why is this important?
Scientists have documented the damaging effects of human and animal exposure to fracking contamination in surface waterways, groundwater aquifers, air and soil.
**During every aspect of fracking dangerous toxins enter our environment**:
•Toxic chemicals used in fracking, methane, radon and hydrogen sulphide gases, radioactive particles, hydrocarbons and heavy metals can escape into groundwater and are brought to the surface in produced water, fracking flowback, gas, oil and sludge.
• Accidental spills pollute land and waterways.
• FLIR camera studies show fugitive emissions of methane and other gases continuously escaping from drilling rigs, well-sites, compressor stations, pipelines and other industry infrastructure.
• Volatile organic compounds are released into the air from wastewater pits, evaporation pits, misting and the industry practice of burning excess gas and waste fluids (flaring).
• Contaminated fracking waste is entering the foodchain through discharges to waterways, landfarming and other disposal methods.
**Other serious dangers from fracking include:**
• Earthquakes - seismically induced quakes that result from fracking are generally of low intensity but the widespread practice of injecting fracking waste fluids into deep disposal wells has caused moderate to strong earthquakes in the USA, resulting in structural damage.
• Water Depletion - each fracking operation uses between 7 and 20 million litres of water (sometimes more) and a production well can be fracked up to 10 times in order to maintain the flow of oil or gas. The water cannot be used for any other purpose. Weather extremes from rapid climate change bring increased danger of drought. We should protect and ration our precious supplies of fresh water for essential use in primary industries like food production, not squander them on a sunset industry.
• Climate Change - the production, transport, and burning of gas, along with fugitive emissions, produces significant air pollution. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and is over 20 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. More and more fracking will undermine efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.
We can join other progressive nations and lead the world in reducing our reliance on dangerous fossil fuels.
**We can Stop Fracking Now as the first step in our transition to clean renewable energy.**
**During every aspect of fracking dangerous toxins enter our environment**:
•Toxic chemicals used in fracking, methane, radon and hydrogen sulphide gases, radioactive particles, hydrocarbons and heavy metals can escape into groundwater and are brought to the surface in produced water, fracking flowback, gas, oil and sludge.
• Accidental spills pollute land and waterways.
• FLIR camera studies show fugitive emissions of methane and other gases continuously escaping from drilling rigs, well-sites, compressor stations, pipelines and other industry infrastructure.
• Volatile organic compounds are released into the air from wastewater pits, evaporation pits, misting and the industry practice of burning excess gas and waste fluids (flaring).
• Contaminated fracking waste is entering the foodchain through discharges to waterways, landfarming and other disposal methods.
**Other serious dangers from fracking include:**
• Earthquakes - seismically induced quakes that result from fracking are generally of low intensity but the widespread practice of injecting fracking waste fluids into deep disposal wells has caused moderate to strong earthquakes in the USA, resulting in structural damage.
• Water Depletion - each fracking operation uses between 7 and 20 million litres of water (sometimes more) and a production well can be fracked up to 10 times in order to maintain the flow of oil or gas. The water cannot be used for any other purpose. Weather extremes from rapid climate change bring increased danger of drought. We should protect and ration our precious supplies of fresh water for essential use in primary industries like food production, not squander them on a sunset industry.
• Climate Change - the production, transport, and burning of gas, along with fugitive emissions, produces significant air pollution. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and is over 20 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. More and more fracking will undermine efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.
We can join other progressive nations and lead the world in reducing our reliance on dangerous fossil fuels.
**We can Stop Fracking Now as the first step in our transition to clean renewable energy.**
