We, the undersigned, represent the countless New Yorkers who recognize that our planet is slowly dying due to irresponsible public policy. Today, Earth Day, is celebrated as a reminder to citizens that there is only one Earth, and that on a dead planet, there is no economy. Thus, it is essential that governments, corporations, and citizens take proper actions to protect the entirety of the global ecosystem. We recognize that the major factors that make New York unique are its lush valleys, deep rivers, pure aquifers, and jaw-dropping mountains. New York’s natural, aesthetic beauty is put at risk by hydraulic fracturing, as is the health and well-being of its citizens.

Study after study has connected the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing to cancer in human beings. The fracturing of shale is proven to release radioactive particles. Additionally, the hydrofracking wells require constant maintenance destroying the surrounding atmosphere with diesel fumes (from trucks, earthmovers, compressors, and other heavy machinery), along with benzene (from wellheads) and formaldehyde (from compressor station engines) – all of which are connected to lung, breast, and bladder cancers.

Hydraulic fracturing also poses a threat to our drinking water. Since the inception of hydrofracking, more than one thousand cases of well contamination have been reported. Concentrations of toxic particles in wells create a condition in which homeowners must haul their water from distant areas because their water is so polluted.

We, the undersigned, refuse for our land to be fracked. No sum of money will ever convince us to compromise our health and the lands we call home. We, the undersigned, also stand in solidarity with biologist Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D., and the other members of the Seneca Lake 12 who were recently arrested for acts of peaceful, civil disobedience against Inergy, a company who wishes to store large amounts of fractured gas in two salt caverns beneath Seneca Lake. This gas has the potential to leak into Seneca Lake, a water source for approximately 100,000 people. Evaluation of the safety of the deposit of natural gas in these caverns is not available for public review because the geologic history of the caverns has been deemed “company secrets” by Inergy.

We, the undersigned, demand governmental action to:
• Permanently ban hydraulic fracturing in New York State – fracking cannot and never will be safe;
• Permanently ban the storage of fracking gas in New York State by companies like Inergy;
• Pardon Melissa Chipman, Michael Dineen, and Dr. Sandra Steingraber for their peaceful actions to stop toxic trespass on New Yorkers and their environment; and
• More rigorously pursue renewable energy development, such as solar, wind, and responsible biomass.

In the words of the Seneca Lake 12, “Our future is unfractured.”

For more information on the effects of hydrofracking, please see: http://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/hydro-fracking.asp

For more information on Dr. Sandra Steingraber and the Seneca Lake 12, please see:
http://www.alternet.org/fracking/fighting-threat-beautiful-lake-region-seneca-lake-12-anti-fracking-activists-face-jail or
http://billmoyers.com/segment/sandra-steingrabers-war-on-toxic-trespassers/