A new report “Fracking with Forever Chemicals” published by the Physicians for Social Responsibility, exposes the terrible truth that highly toxic PFAS have been used extensively in drilling and fracking gas and oil wells. Despite EPA’s knowledge that the chemicals could harm people, especially young children, and the environment, the agency approved the practice and the public did not even know about it. Fracking already exposes millions of people to toxic and hazardous chemicals; EPA must stop this additional harm.

The use continues today because PFAS or chemicals that can break down into PFAS are still allowed to be used in gas and oil extraction operations. EPA has the authority to pull back its approval. Fracking with forever chemicals must be stopped immediately! Please send a letter now!

Because frack fluids make their way into frack wastewater, this revelation also supports the Delaware River Frack Ban Coalition’s goal for a permanent ban on frack wastewater imports into the Delaware River Basin. Because of this, we will be copying the letter you sign to the Delaware River Basin Commission, who will be deciding in the coming months if they will ban or allow frack wastewater to be imported for processing, storage, discharge, or disposal in the Watershed.

Background:

PFAS are already a worldwide pollution problem of epic proportions as scientists and governments struggle to locate contamination and contain its spread. They are called “Forever Chemicals” because they never biodegrade and persist indefinitely in the environment. PFAS accumulate in the natural world and in the human body, are highly toxic even at very tiny doses, and are linked to several diseases and adverse health conditions, including cancers. The fetus, infants, children, women of childbearing age, and immune compromised individuals are the most vulnerable to PFAS health damages.

Fracking and its infrastructure is ruining natural and human habitat everywhere it is occurring, with mounting documentation of devastating health and environmental impacts. This disclosure of another toxic chemical in the chemical soup that is already injected into the ground when wells are drilled and fracked, is an outrage. The discovery adds to the argument for a stop to all fracking and supports the prohibition of the discharge of wastewater produced by fracking. And the presence of forever chemicals supports our case for a full ban on all fracking-related operations in the Delaware River Watershed.

The report by Dusty Horwitt for Physicians for Social Responsibility was issued Monday, July 12 and was broken as a lead story in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/12/climate/epa-pfas-fracking-forever-chemicals.html

Download the PSR report here: https://bit.ly/3i06IUO

See the Delaware River Frack Ban’s press statement on the report here: https://bit.ly/3xNrsWF