The EPA has recently developed a process for oil and gas companies that want to use diesel for fracking. This is the first federal policy focused on protecting drinking water sources from hydraulic fracturing, but it still isn’t enough!

We need the EPA to set formal rules banning the use of diesel in hydraulic fracturing in order to protect our drinking water from contamination by hazardous chemicals like benzene, tolulene, ethylbenzene and xylene. These chemicals are extremely dangerous because they may cause numerous health problems including cancer, kidney and liver problems and nervous system damage.

We also need the EPA to establish a broad definition for diesel that includes all diesel mixtures that pose a threat to underground sources of drinking water so that the industry cannot skirt their responsibility to comply with this regulation.

The EPA has opened a formal public comment period which will end July 9th. We need your help showing the EPA that communities don’t want diesel contaminating their drinking water!

Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.