On Monday, October 22, CCJ Organizers Jodi Borello and Tonya Yoders attended a Press Conference in Harrisburg to announce the Setback Campaign introduced by the Clean Air Council and Environmental Integrity Project. They filed a rulemaking petition with the Environmental Quality Board asking to increase the setback distance from fracking wells. We are asking for common-sense reform to the current oil and gas setback in Pennsylvania. Residents of our state have been demanding further protections for their health, and now is the time to take action.
The request for further setbacks is nothing new to our state. One of the eight recommendations of the 43rd Statewide Grandjury was a setback of 2,500 feet. This was recommended by a jury of our peers based on the experiences of witnesses who testified to their hardships living next to oil and gas infrastructure. This is not an arbitrary number. We know that anything closer than this causes hardship and health effects to families.
In August of 2023, the Department of Health released a study stating that if a child lives within one mile of an oil and gas well they have a 5 to 7 times greater chance of getting lymphoma. This is in addition to hundreds of other studies showing health effects. We can no longer wait to demand change. Right now, an oil and gas well can be placed 500 feet from a home.
On the 22nd, we visited numerous legislators’ offices asking that this campaign be taken seriously and demonstrating the want of Pennsylvania residents for this proposal. Impacted residents got to tell their stories to Representatives and Senators and passed out documents on fracking to people walking past the capital cafeteria. They were received well by other Capitol visitors and felt empowered by the experience.
This campaign is not radical. It is the least we can do to protect our children and ourselves. These setbacks are truly common-sense measures that should be adopted statewide, but, if not, put into local ordinances so that more families do not have to suffer the effects of nearby fracking. If we can prevent even one more child from being diagnosed with cancer or other illnesses, why shouldn’t we?