Dear John,

Millions of Americans in communities up and down the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio Rivers are drinking water that’s at risk of toxic fracking wastewater contamination. We need your help.

Add your name: The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers must protect public drinking water over corporations who are spreading pollutants and poisoning our essential resources.

We know there are highly toxic metals in wastewater, such as arsenic and barium, which are known to cause serious health problems, including cancers and death. Moreover, these wastewaters often contain toxic levels of salt and the radioactive human carcinogen radium. In fact, some samples from the Marcellus Shale show levels of radium 3,600 times higher than EPA’s drinking water standard.¹

The Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio Rivers run through Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New York, and supply drinking water to millions of people living near them.

We’re calling on officials to stop allowing the barging of toxic, radioactive fracking wastewater on the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio Rivers.

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It’s not a question of if there will be a spill of toxic wastewater, it’s a question of when. Inadequate equipment, human error, and uncontrollable external forces, such as extreme weather conditions, can all lead to these terrible spills on barges. And serious incidents—those involving death or serious injury, excessive property damage, or a discharge of hazardous materials—are on the rise.²This means all the toxic and dangerous materials in wastewater will end up in our water.

And when a spill does occur, it’s unclear who is responsible for accident management and spill mitigation—especially since the contents of each barge are not disclosed. This means clean-up will take even longer, and the public could end up footing the bill for the clean-up as well as their long-term health issues.

We do not want ANY oil and gas waste being transported along the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio Rivers. The towns and cities along these rivers get their drinking water from aquifers that are highly susceptible to river contamination, and we want to assure safe drinking water for current and future generations.

We urge the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deny any authorizations and put these communities' needs over corporate profits. By denying and revoking any and all authorizations that might allow the transport of any fracking waste on our waters, you’re protecting the health and safety of the residents that depend on these three rivers for their drinking water and recreation.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks for all you do,

– MoveOn

P.S. This petition was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online petitions. You can start your own petition to push for progressive change here.

Sources:

1. "Where do we stand with radiation and fracking?" Greene County Messenger, April 20, 2018 https://www.heraldstandard.com/gcm/opinion/natures_corner/where-do-we-stand-with-radiation-and-fracking/article_64c15f3b-e28f-5105-95d5-5f11510a3b79.html

2. "Potential Impact to Surface Water and Sediment from the Transport of Produced Water by Barge Along the Ohio River for Disposal in Class II Injection Wells," Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy (PSE), August 27, 2021 https://www.ourenergypolicy.org/resources/potential-impact-to-surface-water-and-sediment-from-the-transport-of-produced-water-by-barge-along-the-ohio-river-for-disposal-in-class-ii-injection-wells/

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG CIVIC ACTION, https://front.moveon.org/about-moveon-civic-action/, NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE’S COMMITTEE.