Apr 1, 2024 2 min read

The recent piece, “Gov. Josh Shapiro must make good on promise to defend public health” highlights a troubling development with implications for all Pennsylvanians.

The authors call out the flaws in Shapiro’s seemingly progressive partnering with CNX Resources to announce commitments that the shale gas extractor is making to protect the health of residents close to its wells. It is worth shouting from the rooftops one of the final points in the article: the oil and gas industry cannot be trusted with self-regulation, especially with the health and lives of our citizens at stake.

A similar playbook has been tried before throughout our state. As one example, just recently another gas company – Coterra Energy, Inc. – successfully lobbied for permission to start drilling and fracking again in Northeastern Pennsylvania, having previously been found guilty of criminal charges for poisoning the area’s groundwater. Residents were once able to literally light their drinking water on fire to demonstrate the horrors of the company’s drilling projects and shoddy protections, yet our state government has quietly lifted its ban on Coterra to resume business.

Our health and futures depend on the efforts of ordinary citizens, community groups, government agencies, and official leaders coming together to hold oil and gas companies accountable – not giving them a green light to pollute and poison with only shallow gestures of taking responsibility.

Katherine Crowe

Philadelphia

Katherine Crowe is a licensed clinical psychologist and a board member of Physicians for Social Responsibility, Pennsylvania.