STAND WITH SCIENCE: OVER's response

Mr. Fitzgerald: OVER thanks you for your June 17, 2021 response to the community petition (http://tinyurl.com/mlfitz2).

Despite our disagreements, we were happy to find that we also have some common goals.

• We’re glad you want to help people use less single-use plastic.

• We agree that "permanent" plastics will be needed for the foreseeable future.

• We agree that the ACHD should be supported and strengthened so it can reduce air pollution.

• Like you, we worry about climate change, for ourselves and for our children.

• Like you, we don’t want to turn off fossil fuels tomorrow: “cold-turkey” is just an industry talking point.  We want to aggressively ramp up renewable energy generation, and use it to replace fossil power production.

• We’re glad you support the Biden climate plan: America needs to gather the political will to make it actually happen.

• We agree that the world needs a chemical industry.  But a petro-chemical industry will soon conflict with the need to reach a zero carbon footprint.  The problem is as much the "petro" as the "chemical".

• We commend you for the County's sustainability initiatives; they are great!  But, the elephant in the room is the Shell petrochemical plant, and the improvements you’ve made inside Allegheny County are small potatoes compared to the giant carbon footprint that Shell is creating.

Good, But Not Far Enough.

On the economic front, you accuse we petitioners of ignoring the large investment that Shell has made in the region ($7 billion of construction salaries and investments).  We plead guilty.  First, because we prefer to look forward, rather than backwards.   And, as we see it, Shell is coming to the end of its investment phase, and is ready to exploit its investment.

And, second because we’ve seen studies that show that the side effects of fracking outweigh the financial benefits.  While there are easily visible benefits to some people, and there are even larger health, climate, and economic costs, some of which haven’t even happened yet, and are less obviously visible.  People and good jobs move away when an area is too polluted.  We feel obligated to emphasize the costs because otherwise nobody may notice them until it’s too late.

Up to now, the Shell cracker plant has seemed to be a good neighbor.  It employs 6000 construction workers and pays them good union wages; and it generates no pollution because it hasn't been turned on yet.  That seems ideal.  But, in about a year, the construction will be done, and things will change.  From our viewpoint and yours, that plant will change from an asset to a liability.

Once construction is complete, nearly all of the construction workers will be laid off.  The permanent staff will be one tenth the size of the construction crew.  Less money will flow into the region, and local businesses in the area will soon feel a pinch.  And don’t expect increased tax revenue to smooth the pain, because the Commonwealth has already waived most taxes on that plant.

And, then Shell will turn the plant on, and we'll have to deal with the resulting pollution.  We're sure you know the basic numbers: 2 million tons of carbon dioxide, 500 tons of volatile organics every year, et cetera. It will be one of the largest polluters in the region.

The plant will require 2.5 million tons of ethane gas as feedstock every year.  To get that ethane, someone will need to frack about 26 million tons of natural gas per year.  But our natural gas infrastructure leaks at least 2% of fracked gas: almost a million tons hisses out into our air every year.  As a result, the network of wells that is needed to feed the plant puts far more volatile organic pollution into our air than the plant does directly.  This indirect pollution is measured in thousands of tons of VOCs per year, and is not accounted for in the EPA’s and DEP’s official estimates of the environmental impact of the plant.

The infrastructure also leaks methane, which – given its high global warming potential – doubles the plant’s contribution to the climate crisis.  Overall, this single plastics plant will match Pittsburgh in terms of pollution, and there may well be several more petrochemical plants built in our region.  Our area will be having an impact on a global scale, and not in a good direction.

From where we stand, this plant feels very much like a bait and switch operation: money now, pain later.  So, if you come out against it soon, you’ll be prescient, because that Shell plant is going to be much less popular in 2024.

Or, consider speaking out against the next petrochemical plant.  That’ll be a bait-and-switch operation too, but it’ll have less time to operate and generate revenue before the inevitable fossil-fuel ramp-down cuts off its feedstock.   Ramping down fracking is an essential part of the Biden Climate Plan (or any science-based climate plan), but it will be hard to ramp fracking down if there’s a cluster of big petrochemical plants demanding to be fed.

Father’s day is a good time to think about the future, and the legacy we leave for our children.  Climate change is the issue that defines our future and our children’s future.  Jobs come and go, but carbon dioxide lasts (nearly) forever in the atmosphere.

STAND WITH SCIENCE: PDR's response

Busy leading up to today's Sustainability Salon, but after that I'll post a response to Fitzgerald's response to Monday's letter/petition and Wednesday's followup letter.  Just wanted to have a link to point folks to!  

In the meantime, OVER has put out a great response letter of their own, which I'll post here.

Links for June 19th Sustainability Salon

 Supplemental links for the June 19th Sustainability Salon (Pipelines II):  

Food & Water Watch petition (with a customizable letter/comment) calling on the DEP to reroute the Mariner East pipeline to avoid Marsh Creek Lake and protect it from more spills and other hazards.  Signatures by this Wednesday, June 23rd.

Reform FERC sign-on letter  Signatures by July 1.

Community petition on the fracking and petrochemical industries:  Sign-on letter;  letter with signatures;  Mark's rally photos;   followup letter;  Fitzgerald's reply;  Maren's response; OVER's response.

OVER action tomorrow, related to the community petition:  Sunday June 20th, 4 p.m., starting at 6520 Wilkins Ave. 15217.  

Treaty People Gathering fighting the Line 3 Pipeline.  Documentary film;  more information and links. 

Video clip from our region's 50th Anniversary virtual Earth Day event, about the experience of living in Frackland (featuring Lois Bower-Bjornson).

Environmental Health News series on body burdens of living near fracking

Related videos on EHN's research into the body burden of fracking chemicals:

https://youtu.be/JtDx1S40NBA

https://youtu.be/s8DtFJFZnL8

Clean Air Council & Partners Protective Buffers Campaign

June 25, 2020 AG report

 May 25, 2021 rollout of 7 state senate “Fracking Negligence” bills based on AG report

 Campaign materials: 

     —Factsheet

     —Explainer (specific infrastructure recs) to accompany Factsheet

 

     —Action Letter

     —Eblast Talking Points/Templates (for Letters to Editors, Representatives)

STAND WITH SCIENCE update: Rich Fitzgerald's reply

Following Monday's rally and the presentation of the sign-on letter to his staff, Mr. Fitzgerald gave a quick reaction in media interviews (notably the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Pittsburgh Business Times).  I wrote him again on Wednesday, asking him to be sure to read the letter thoroughly, adding some new science and other developments to the dialogue, and reiterating my request to hear back substantively by the end of the week.  On Thursday evening, I received the following email from the Allegheny County Communications Director:  

Your email and the letter that you delivered to the office were forwarded to me. The County Executive asked that I provide the following statement in response.

 

Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns with fossil fuel and the need to focus on health and the environment in Allegheny County. 

 

Let me be clear: I believe in climate change and am very much in favor of moving away from reliance on fossil fuels, provided that it is done in a strategic way. I am in favor of President Biden’s plan. This isn’t an either/or discussion. To suggest otherwise is disingenuous. 

 

You state that I have done little to address the climate crisis, but nothing could be further from the truth. In my 10 years as County Executive, I have done more to improve the environment and deal with climate change than has been done by any other county administration. 

We are an active participant and leader in the Pittsburgh 2030 District, joining even before governments were part of the organization’s metrics.

 

Earlier this year, I announced that the county has entered into a power purchase agreement for 7.4MW of renewable electricity from a new hydroelectric facility to be located on the Ohio. Our financial investment makes possible the development and financing of new renewable energy capacity right in the county. 

 

That’s not all that’s been done to show our commitment to sustainability. For the first time ever, we are in compliance with all of the EPA standards for air quality at every single one of the county’s monitors.

The BRT is a major project that is going to be using electrification, again shifting reliance on fossil fuels like diesel, for our buses.

 

We have committed to moving two of our nine parks to net zero and have spent significant county resources investing in solar and other renewable energies to meet energy needs in our other parks.

 

Even our authorities like CCAC and the Airport have embraced solar, microgrids, and other opportunities that reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. The airport has the largest solar plant in the county.

 

These projects are just the tip of the iceberg. If you’d like more examples of what’s been done, take a look at the Citizens Guide to Sustainability that was created by our Sustainability Manager and updated earlier this year. We have even more on the horizon.

 

The growth that has happened in Pittsburgh began in 2007 and 2008 when technology made it possible to extract the gas in the Marcellus Shale formation. We have seen a tremendous amount of wealth flow into this region because of that. You reference the potential impacts of the petrochemical plant but ignore the $7 billion in wealth that has come to this region from Shell investments. We have seen the impact of this development on Beaver County’s economic growth.

 

Beyond Shell, billions of dollars of infrastructure and other development is happening right here, putting a lot of people to work. We are seeing a resurgence in manufacturing.

 

It also has provided a tremendous return for those in our community who most need it as heating costs have decreased by 70% over the last 12 years. I can’t think of any basic need in our community that has seen a 70% reduction in cost in that time – not healthcare, housing, food, education, or transportation. 

 

We have also seen CO2 levels come down because of the shift to natural gas.

Energy production and natural gas production must be done safely. It must meet EPA and DEP requirements. I also believe there should be an extraction tax in PA, one of the few elected officials to continuously call for that action by our General Assembly. We should also invest in technologies that can help us address the known challenges – such as methane leaks – with natural gas extraction.

 

Companies who are doing bad things should be punished and we should be looking to strengthen enforcement powers for the agencies that regulate this industry. But we cannot paint everyone with the same brush – one company that does something wrong doesn’t mean that everyone in the industry is bad.

 

The county’s involvement in this industry can improve our community health and environment. I would point you to Deer Lakes Park and the project there for justification of that position. When the county was approached about a contract, the company already had contracts with all of the parcels surrounding the park, and with the vast majority of properties in the area. The extraction was going to occur around the park, regardless of what the county did or did not do.

 

In negotiating with the company, we were able to secure enhanced environmental protections for the community and the park itself. These included extra water testing, reduced noise and light pollution for the community, provided job fairs specifically targeted at connecting residents to available jobs, enhanced safety for school children, and mandates that the company meet local municipalities’ bonding requirements for road use and repair. The provisions were some of the most aggressive and proactive at the time and have been extremely beneficial to the community. They would not have happened if the county had not been involved. That’s why I am not in favor of a blanket ban and, instead, believe decisions on county lands, including county parks, should be considered on a case by case basis.

 

We do need to move away from single use plastics. It’s something that I have talked about for a while and why the county has implemented small measures in our parks to remove plastic straws and other types of single use plastics used by vendors with whom we do business. Quite frankly, there should be significant disincentives for single use plastics.

 

Not all plastics are the same. Permanent plastics are used to create fuel-efficient cars and medical devices. A more fuel-efficient car helps to reduce carbon emissions by creating lighter and more efficient cars and airplanes. Plastic is used in wind turbines and solar panels. To do renewable things actually relies on plastics to some extent.

 

Similarly, not all energy companies or fossil fuels are the same. To suggest that or think that would be the same as making a judgment about a person based on their race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. That being said, moving away from fossil fuels has to be done in a measured, strategic way. To shut it off cold turkey would cause such economic disruption to this community and country that I cannot agree with it. Economic hardships would impact those who are most vulnerable in our community. And such action doesn’t deal in reality. We can’t just flip a switch tomorrow to move to renewable energy. We need to build capacity and we need to ensure that it’s available to all.

 

I appreciate the dialogue and your interest, advocacy, and passion for this issue, but I will not be withdrawing my support for the petrochemical industry or its development in the region for all of the reasons that I have just noted.

Protect Pennsylvania Education Standards!

The State Board of Education has omitted Ecology, Environment, and Agriculture from the newly proposed secondary level ed standards. The comment period is from June 5 to July 6.  This notice from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation provides a link to a form letter you can sign and send.  Otherwise:

Send an EMAIL:  Karen Molchanow, State Board of Education Board ra-stateboardofed@pa.gov  or 

send a formal letter via USPS:  Karen Molchanow, State Board of Education, 333 Market Street, 1st Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126. 

From: Tarrea Potter <TPotter@cbf.org> 
Sent: Monday, June 7, 2021 10:41 AM
Subject: URGENT! PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS OPEN!

 

Hello Conservation and Environmental Advocates! 

 

As you may, or may not be aware, the Pennsylvania Science Standards are currently under review.  The last legislatively approved standards are dated 2002.  The process began back in September of 2019 and on September 9^th, 2020, proposed, “integrated” standards were unanimously approved by the State Board of Education.  Unfortunately, the current standards have largely omitted Environment, Ecology and Agriculture from the secondary level.  This should be a serious concern for educators, community members, and industry across the Commonwealth.  The amount of content that has been omitted is overwhelming, and without specific, explicit standards for Environment, Ecology and Agriculture, educators will not be held accountable for covering the content.  We urge you to submit a written comment (we did receive word that only comments that mention specific content that is missing will be counted. To see specific content that was identified as having 1 or NO connections to the proposed standards, click here) to the State Board of Education imploring them to explicitly include Environment, Ecology and Agriculture in the standards revision. Pennsylvania was long known as a leader in environmental education, given its long history of conservation and its abundant natural resources.  The public comment period opened on Saturday, June 5^th and will remain open for only thirty (30) days.  Again, we urge you to voice your concern and encourage the Pennsylvania Department of Education to revise these proposed standards to explicitly include environment, ecology, and agriculture standards! The future leaders of our Commonwealth deserve to have rich, environmental, and agricultural education opportunities! 

How do I comment to voice my concern?  (Remember to mention specific content missing from the proposed standards ):

Comments are being accepted in writing, starting June 5th 2021: 

• Send the Action Alert created by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation at this link:https://bit.ly/3ijtSXN 

• This alert can be modified (see personalized action alert) if there are morespecific pieces of information you would like to add OR it can be sent as it is, from you!  

• Create an EMAIL:  Karen Molchanow, State Board of Education Board ra-stateboardofed@pa.gov  or 
• Send a formal letter via USPS:  Karen Molchanow, State Board of Education, 333 Market Street, 1st Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126. 
• Make your voice heard---share this widely!

 

Additional Resources:

Announcement in PA Code and Bulletin (June 5^th, 2021)

• Pennsylvania Bulletin (pacodeandbulletin.gov)

2002 Legislatively Approved Standards:

• Academic Standards for Environment and Ecology
• Academic Standards for Science and Technology

Proposed Standards:

• Pennsylvania Integrated Standards for Science, Environment, Ecology, Technology and Engineering (Grades K-5) (PDF)
• Pennsylvania Integrated Standards for Science, Environment and Ecology (Grades 6-12) (PDF)
• Pennsylvania Technology and Engineering Standards (Grades 6-12)

PA Department of Education:  Pennsylvania Science and Technology and Environment and Ecology Standards

• Science Standards (pa.gov)

North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE):  Guidelines for Excellence:  Best Practice in EE

• Guidelines for Excellence: Best Practice in EE | NAAEE

  

Thank you for your support and your time! 

 

Tarrea R Potter

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Pennsylvania Education Outreach Coordinator

1426 North 3^rd St., Suite 220

Harrisburg, PA 17102

Office: 717-234-5550

Direct:  717-200-4526

tpotter@cbf.org

 

STAND WITH SCIENCE: Followup letter to Rich Fitzgerald

Mr. Fitzgerald — 

I’m sorry that we missed you at your office on Monday.  I’ve seen some of your responses in the media;  I can’t imagine that you had had time to read the letter in detail by that time, let alone consider the 40+ references (linked in the online version of the letter and also printed on the last page following the signature list) — and especially considering what you said in your responses.  I hope you do make the time, so as to be able to make better-informed decisions going forward in your work as County Executive (and any future positions in public policy).  The assertions in the letter are not just my opinions;  they are backed up with facts and science.  

I wanted to follow up also because the hardcopy of the letter included a TinyURL web link that works in some browsers but not others (e.g., Safari can find “tinyurl/mlfitz2” but Chrome requires “tinyurl.com/mlfitz2”).  So that you have it handy, the full link to the letter (with references, and a still-growing list of signatories) is: 

        https://marenslistresources.blogspot.com/2021/06/stand-with-science-calling-on-rich.html

I didn’t want anything to get in the way of your access to the information!

In your media interviews, you brought up some things that I didn’t mention in my letter.  Home heating costs?  Higher in Pennsylvania than elsewhere!  Recent dip in local pollution?  Worldwide, and tied to the pandemic.  And even so, carbon dioxide is at an all-time high (since measurements began).  

In the short time since I completed Monday's letter, there have been many new developments.  New scientific studies released, new legal actions both here and abroad (e.g., a U.S. District Court upheld the ban on fracking in the Delaware watershed, and a Dutch court ordered Shell to greatly curtail their carbon emissions), new deadly gas incidents and other industrial disasters, new information about past incidents, new criminal investigations.  Confirmation of the likely impact of escaped nurdles on our waterways and wildlife.  Not to mention other energy news, like the the cancellation of the Keystone XL.  It’s hard to keep up with this stuff!  

Overall, there has been a tremendous amount of new science in recent years, in recent months, in recent weeks.  That’s why I thought that my letter, gathering so much information into one handy summary, might help you understand why a change in direction is so important.  The bottom line is that the health impacts are real and the economic benefits are illusory.  

You once told me that Pittsburgh was only able to recover from the loss of most of the steel industry because of natural gas.  How, then, does the word “gas” never appear in a World Economic Forum piece (based on their Competitiveness of Cities report) on how this region reinvented itself?  The answer can be summed up in a common local phrase, “Eds and Meds”.  By the same token, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County have the technological and human capacity, the strength and ingenuity, to help lead the world toward the new (carbon-neutral) energy future.  This is a huge opportunity!  Humanity needs to transition away from fossil fuels rapidly — we must halt fossil fuel combustion within the next two or three decades, and that means no new fossil energy infrastructure.  Our region can be a leader in this transition, and also stands to gain a great deal — our collective health — since most pollution is associated with fossil fuel combustion.  And since low-income folks, especially people of color, have been forced to live near polluting facilities, that same progress would also reduce the inequities inherent in economic, racial, and environmental injustice.  

Climate, pollution, health, and justice.  The world is taking these issues seriously;  your constituents need you to, as well.  

I look forward to hearing from you by week’s end (as I noted to your staff during our visit).   

Sincerely, 

   —  Maren Cooke, PhD

STAND WITH SCIENCE: Calling on Rich Fitzgerald

Making the connections -- 

fracking/pipelines/plastics 

and 

health/environment/climate/human rights 

an open letter to Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald

Pennsylvania and adjacent states have long been a sacrifice zone for fossil energy extraction — oil, coal, and natural gas — and now we are being asked, with your backing, to sacrifice our health and environment for the production of plastics, as well.  Where will this end?  

You have stated that “We believe in science around here.”  However, while claiming to be climate-aware, you have done little to address the climate crisis, and you’ve been a longtime cheerleader for fracking and petrochemical development in our region.  The science is mounting to demonstrate how damaging these industries are to human health, local economies, and the climate.  With the industry spreading through our region, the time is right to change your stance.  

Now that the science is clear — details below — we ask that you issue a statement withdrawing your support for the fracking and petrochemical industries;  that you endorse the new PA bills HB1353/SB645, HB1354/SB644, and HB1355/HB646 to close the hazardous waste loophole;  and when relevant County legislation comes before you (like the ban on fracking in County parks now in Council), that you stand on the side of public health and a sustainable economy with your decision.  These are among the facts you can marshall to protect the citizens you have sworn to represent:

• The International Energy Agency has determined that in order to preserve a livable climate, there can be no further investment in fossil energy extraction.  The Shell ethane cracker will emit half as much CO₂ as the city of Pittsburgh, so just this one plant will undo our laudable climate goals.  And with thousands of new gas wells needed to provide ethane for the plant in the coming years, even more climate-disrupting carbon dioxide and methane will be emitted elsewhere —  meaning more heat waves, cold snaps, and big storms.  In addition to all the present and future impacts of climate change itself, most air pollution is directly linked to fossil fuels.  A recent study out of Harvard  found that 1 in 5 early deaths worldwide are due to ultrafine particle pollution from fossil fuel combustion.  That’s 8 million people a year — of which about 300,000 are people in the U.S. who die prematurely from fossil fuel pollution every year — half as many as we’ve lost to COVID over the past 14 months, but this is year after year after year!

• Shell’s plant in nearby Beaver County will also emit up to 500 tons of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) each year, and 30 tons of hazardous air pollutants, including known carcinogens like benzene, toluene, and formaldehyde.  About one in five Pennsylvanians die of cancer, and Allegheny County is already in the top 2% for cancer risk across the nation due to hazardous air pollutants.    Similarly, Beaver County residents, living even closer to the plant, are beginning to realize what they’re in for.  

• The cracker plant requires the construction of an ethane pipeline system crossing the Ohio River, many other sensitive areas including the headwaters of the Ambridge Reservoir (which serves 30,000 people in 11 municipalities), and regions prone to landslides that can lead to explosions.  And if Shell has cut corners during construction of the Falcon Pipeline, this danger is multiplied.  Other fracking and pipeline companies engaged in projects that feed these petrochemical plants have come under criminal investigation.  If the state Grand Jury Report is too full of legalese, check out the more intimate narrative in Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America, by Eliza Griswold.  And the situation is not improving;  pipeline incidents are occurring just about every day.

• Fracking has been shown to contaminate residents’ bodies with endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can affect both birth outcomes and the male reproductive system.  Physicians for Social Responsibility’s report speaks out against natural gas, and in collaboration with Concerned Health Professionals of New York, they compile the annual Fracking Science Compendium,  now with more than 1700 peer-reviewed studies demonstrating these hazards.  And the evidence continues to accumulate;  a more recent study from Oklahoma confirms these health impacts.  Here in Pennsylvania, Act 13 setbacks have been shown to be drastically insufficient to protect public health.  

• Shell and its various subsidiaries have demonstrated disregard for the health of construction workers and the community during the coronavirus pandemic (for instance, transporting groups of workers in shuttle buses).  This is not surprising given Shell’s long record of troubled dealings around the world — suppressing science on climate change, leaving environmental messes (in the US, on our shores, off the UK coast, and beyond), participating in exploitative labor practices, fomenting human-rights abuses, and generally being a bad neighbor.   

• Again with little regard for the safety of workers or residents, radioactive material from fracking operations has been spread throughout the region.¹⁸

• What is this all for?  The plant will produce up to 1.6 million tons per year of polyethylene pellets called “nurdles” — much of which will become wasteful single-use plastics.  This will escalate the global plastics crisis — by 2050 there will likely be more plastic in the oceans than fish!  Long-lasting plastics break up into smaller pieces easily mistaken for food, and harm life all the way up the food chain.  Microplastics have been found in every Pennsylvania waterway tested in a recent survey,  in drinking water around the world, and even in our bodies.

• You and many others have pointed to jobs as the reason for our region to take on this burden.  However,  there will be more jobs in a renewables-based economy.  And despite huge subsidies at taxpayer expense,  economic benefits of the natural gas industry are transient and uneven because of the boom-bust character of resource extraction;  promised jobs haven’t materialized and indeed there’s a net decrease!   The whole industry is on shaky financial grounds,  and its future is uncertain. 

• Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, the influx of out-of-state workers has also led to increased crime; out west it has exacerbated the MMIW crisis (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women), on top of the health hazards we know all too well.

At least four more ethane cracker plants are under consideration as the industry seeks to turn the tri-state region of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio into a huge petrochemical hub.  The region where this industry has held sway for decades, in Louisiana, is known as “Cancer Alley”!  Is this what we want for the Ohio River Valley?  Is it what any leader wants for a legacy?  We are urging you to do all you can to help in the transition to clean renewable energy and away from single-use plastics.  

The undersigned individuals and community groups ask you, Mr. Fitzgerald, to detail your response to the intertwined pollution, climate, and plastics crises — and to publicly withdraw your support from the fracking and petrochemical development of our region.  

Thank you, 

350 Pittsburgh -- Elise Yoder, Steering Committee

Allegheny CleanWays -- Myrna Newman, Executive Director

Allegheny County Clean Air Now (ACCAN) -- Angelo Taranto, secretary/treasurer

ATM & RiverCubes -- Bob Johnson, Founder

Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community (BCMAC) -- Marcia Lehman, Executive Board

Berks Gas Truth -- Karen Feridun, Founder

Better Path Coalition -- Karen Feridun, Co-Founder

Breathe Project -- Matthew Mehalik, Executive Director

Center for Coalfield Justice -- Veronica Coptis, Executive Director

Citizens to Protect Oakmont -- Edward J. Grystar

Clean Air Council -- Joseph Minott, Executive Director and Chief Counsel

Climate Reality Pittsburgh & Southwestern Pennsylvania -- Marcel Minutolo, PhD, Chair

Communities First Sewickley Valley -- Gail Murray

Concerned Health Professionals of New York -- Carmi Orenstein, MPH, Program Director

Concerned Ohio River Residents -- Ben Hunkler, Organizer

CREATE Lab -- Ana Hoffman, Director of Air Quality Engagement

Dickinson For Congress Committee -- Jerry Dickinson, Candidate for Congress

Dream of the Earth -- Karen Bernard, President

Environmental Health Project -- Alison L Steele, MBA, Executive Director

Extinction Rebellion Pittsburgh -- Shelly Smiley, Social Media coordinator

Fireman Creative -- Paul Fireman, President

Food & Water Watch -- Megan McDonough, Pennsylvania State Director

Fossil Free Pitt Coalition -- Abhishek Viswanathan, Organizer

FrackFreeMahoning -- Maria Montez

FracTracker Alliance -- Brook Lenker, Executive Director

FreshWater Accountability Project -- Leatra Harper, Managing Director

Friends For Environmental Justice -- Elaine Tanner, Program Director

Garfield Community Farm -- John Creasy, Executive Director

Granny Peace Brigade -- Gayle Morrow

Green Deeds LLC -- Lee Willard, Owner

Green Party of Allegheny County -- Kelly Kuzemchak, Chair

Green Party of Butler and Venango -- Michael Bagdes-Canning

Green Sanctuary Team at First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh -- Peg Schmidt, Co-Chair

Group Against Smog & Pollution (GASP) -- Rachel Filippini, Executive Director

Health Coach -- Raleigh Taylor, Owner

Heartwood -- Matt Peters, Administrative Coordinator

Henry Family Farm -- Dale Henry, Owner/Operator

Indivisible Grassroots Pittsburgh -- Debra Fyock, Co-Manager

Institute for Green Science (IGS) -- Terrence Collins, PhD, Director (Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry)

IPAK-EDU -- James Lyons-Weiler, PhD, Chancellor

Izaak Walton League of America - Allegheny County -- Mike Stout, President

KiRi - Energy Healing and Transformational Ceremony -- Kathy Evans-Palmisano, President

Lawrenceville Clean Air Now -- Emily Cleath, Co-Founder

Local Authority Western PA (LAWPA) -- Debra Borowiec, Co-ordinator

Marcellus Outreach Butler -- Michael Bagdes-Canning, Planning Group

NoPetroPA -- Mark Dixon, Co-Founder

Ohio Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival -- Mary Aguilera

Ohio River Guardians -- Mary Aguilera

Ohio Valley Environmental Resistance (OVER) -- Greg Kochanski, Steering Committee

Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC) -- Vivian Stockman, Co-Director

Open Up -- Tessa Karel, Board President

Pennsylvania Alliance for Clean Water and Air -- Jenny Lisak, Co-Director

People Over Petrochemical Coalition (POPCo) -- Kelsey McNaul, Coordinating Team

Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania -- Tammy Murphy, Advocacy Director

Pittsburgh Democratic Socialists of America -- Prem Rajgopal, MS, Ecosocialist Chair

Pittsburgh Mennonite Church Sustainability Group -- Phoebe Sharp, Stewardship Advocate

Pittsburgh Vegan Society -- Sean Moundas, Co-Organizer

Pittsburghers Against Single-Use Plastic (PASUP) -- Dianne Peterson, Steering Committee

Plant-Based Pittsburgh -- Sally Lipsky, Founder/President

Project CoffeeHouse -- Barbara Jarmoska, President

Protect Elizabeth Township -- Jill Taylor, Business Manager

ProtectPT -- Lois Drumheller, Board Chair

Putting Down Roots -- Maren Cooke, PhD, Founder

Quiet Creek Herb Farm & School of Country Living -- Claire Orner, VP Steward

Rail Pollution Protection Pittsburgh (RP3) -- Barbara Talerico and Glenn Olcerst, Esq., Co-Founders

Recycle This Pittsburgh -- Sabrina Culyba, Editor

Responsible Drilling Alliance (RDA) -- Robert Cross, President

Scenius LLC -- Ron Gaydos, Principal

Steiner Learning Design -- Mary Ann Steiner, Owner

Strollo Sound -- Christopher Strollo, Owner/Operator

Sustainable Monroeville -- Elisa Beck, Founder

The Earthling's Handbook -- Rebecca Stallings, Author and Site Editor

The Farmer's Wife -- Margaret Henry, Owner/Operator

The Thomas Merton Center -- Gabriel McMorland, Executife Director

Thou Art: The Grounding Lab Art Studio -- Margaret Baco, Creative Director

Three Rivers Waterkeeper -- Bryce Aaronson, Interim Executive Director

Thrive_At_Life: Working Solutions -- Peggy Ann Berry, CEO

Upper Burrell Citizens Against Marcellus Pollution -- Ron Slabe

Westmoreland Marcellus Citizens' Group -- January Milburn, President

Women for a Healthy Environment -- Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, Executive Director

and

Chris Abell

Diane Abell

Edith Abeyta

Tara Alexander, CPD

Ward Allebach, MS

Lori Altenderfer 

Diana Ames

Laurie Anderson

Jacqueline Apone

Mary Ruth Aull, RN, BSN

Val Bader

Kenneth Ball

Jennifer Bannan

Eva Barinas

Emily Barlow

Robert Baron

Terrie Baumgardner

Stanley Beck

John Beres, RN

Nancy Bernstein, MPH

Molly Berntsen

Fred Bickerton

John Blau

Julie Boetger 

Lois Bower-Bjornson 

Bailey Bowers

Barbara Wendeborn Brandom, MD (ret.)

Marcia Brissett

Margaret Bupp

Seth Bush

Patrick Campbell, M.Div

Paul Carlson

Mae Catino

Connie Cavara

Ryan Chadwick 

Darren Cheng

Jennifer Clark

Frayda Cohen

Alex Cole

Nicholas Coles, PhD (Associate Professor)

Ellen Conrad

Carla Cooke, MALD

Bruce Cooper

Maureen Copeland

Sally Coulson

Holly Cox

Joyce Crock

Zelda Curtiss, JD

Stentor Danielson, PhD (Associate Professor)

Dan Davis

Mo Dawley

Roger Day, ScD (Professor Emeritus)

Lucyna de Barbaro

Darlene Dech

Ann E. Deely

Maura Deely, BS (Environmental Science)

John Deeney, PhD (Professor Emeritus)

Emily De Ferrari

Patricia DeMarco, PhD (Forest Hills Borough Council VP)

John Detisch

Julie DiCenzo

Jill Diskin

Neil McPherson Donahue, PhD (Lord Chair and University Professor)

Alice Doolittle

Larysa Dyrszka MD

Sheridan Edmondson, MS

Andrew O. Ellis

Eleanor Emmons-Apt

Robert Errett

John Fallon

Nita Fandray (Post-Gazette reader)

Ruth Fauman-Fichman

Christopher Fazio

Marge Fekete

Julie Ferringer

Michele Fetting

Gaye Fifer

Kate Fissell

Sarah E Flanders

Sandra Fox

Ayres Freitas

Margaret Fried Whelan

Shannon Frishkorn

Martha Funderburgh, MPH

Sharon Furlong

Catherine Gammon

Ashley Gehlke, CRNP

Peter E. Gilmore

Albert Giovanazzi

Dinnie Goldring

Carol Gonzalez

Henry Gonzalez

Michael Goodhart, PhD

Ellie Gordon

Hamish Gordon, PhD (Assistant Research Professor)

Tatiana Grosu

Barbara Grover, PhD

Cecelia Hard

Frances Harkins

Greta Harmon

Jane Harter

Volker Hartkopf, PhD, M.Arch (professor emeritus)

Patricia Hawkins

Laurie Heller, PhD

Laura Henderson

William A. Hendricks

Marci Henzi

Faith Hersey 

Sarah Hertweck

Colin Hill

Harry Hochheiser, PhD (Associate Professor)

Tom Hoffman

Sharon Hoffman

Josh Homa

Rhea Homa

Matt Hornfeck

Alan Horowitz, PhD

Rob Hosken

Kathryn Hunninen

Jno L Hunt

Travis Hunter

Ginny Iadicicco

Lisa Ireland

Todd Ireland

Laura Jacko

Erica Jackson

Jeff Jaeger

Lydia Jahl

Natalie Jellison

Coty Jen, PhD (Assistant Professor)

Virginia Johnson 

Janis Johnson 

Jocelyn Johnston

Ilyas Khan

Brennan Kaye

Timothy Patrrick Kelly

Cynthia Kirsch 

Walt Kochirka

Dee Kochirka 

David Kolonay 

Sonia Kowal

William Kownacki

Fred Kraybill

Kathleen Krebs

Maria Kretschmann

Marie Kruszewski 

Jenny Kuhn

Claudette Kulkarni, PhD

Marie Kundrat

Adrien Lagasse

Eric lagasse

Françoise Lagasse

Jennifer Lakin 

Eric Lantzman

Nancy Lapp

Susan Largent

Deborah Larson

Diane Lassman

Corey Layman

Javin Lee-Lobel

Miriam Lindauer

Barbara Litt, MS

Vivian Loftness, FAIA, LEED AP, CPHC (Paul Mellon Chair and University Professor)

Tim Lucas

Heather lyle

Deirdre Lynch

Elizabeth Lynch

Ian MacLellan

Megan L MacLellan

Andreas Maihoefer

Mary Beth Mannarino, PhD (Professor Emeritus)

Guillaume Marcais

Katherine Max

Sheila May-Stein

Nicole McCaffrey 

Jason F McCullough

Gale McGloin

Danielle McGuire

Kelsey McNaul

Kelly McQueston

Todd Medema

Rachel Meyer

Kenneth Alan Miller

Leandra Mira

Rachel Mole, MSE

Sandra Monteverde 

Joanne Mulé

John Nagle, PhD (Professor Emeritus)

Rachel Nawrocki

Rachael Renzy Neffshade

Matthew Nemeth

Linda Neumann

Richard Neumann

Gail Neustadt, MA

Kathleen Newman, PhD (Associate Professor)

Robert Nishikawa

Marianne Novy

Mary Obringer

Mel Packer

Dana Palmisano

Tim Pearce, PhD

Dianne Peeling

Marta Pelusi

Elizabeth F. Perkins

Anaïs Peterson

Dottie Peterson

Cindy Phelps

Kari Pohl RN, BSN

Randi Jeannine Pokladnik

Helen Podgainy Bitaxis, MD

Bonnie Prady

Andrew Puglionesi

Ryan Pusch, MDiv

Martha Raak, MA

Douglas Rabuzzi

Jessie Ramey

Jack Read

Jack Rearick 

Barbara Recker, RN, MSN, MPH

Perry Recker, M.Phil

Timothy Reick

Thomas E. Reilly, Esq.

Barbara J. Reilly

Timothy Resciniti

Jo Resciniti

Abby Resnick

Eva Resnick-Day

Ray Roberts

Nancy Robinson 

Kara Roggenkamp

Emily Rollins

Nazmul Rony

Jen Roof

Ann Rosenthal

Jennifer J. Ross

Elizabeth Rotz

Edie Rudolph

Kathy Ruffing

Edith Ruiz

Molly Rush

Mary Rush

Cheyenne S

Pouné Saberi

Tamara Sacks

Abby Samuels

Neal Samuels

Symone Saul

Paul W Scanlon

Hilary Schenker

Barton Schoenfeld

Elizabeth Schongar

Caitlin Schroering, PhD

Greg Schubert

Janet Seltman

Audrey Marie Semel, MPH

Douglas Shields

Sydney Shoff

Dana Siler

Elise Silvestri

Daniel Sleator, PhD (Professor)

Debra Smit

Brenda Lynn Smith

Shannon Smith

Brittany Spinelli

Robert P Sroufe

Suzanne Staggenborg

Judith Starr

Barbara Steinberg

John F Stolz

Janet Strahosky

Rebecca Studer, PhD

Ryan Sullivan, PhD (Associate Professor)

Cecile Sun, PhD (Professor)

Jennie Sweet-Cushman

Naomi Swerdlow

Merrily Swoboda, PhD

Tiffany Taulton

Molly Tighe

Stephanie Ulmer

Peri Unligil

Alexander VanLaningham

Tonyeh Verkitus

Nick Viggiano

Victoria A Vose

Joan Wagman

Garret Wasserman, MS

Suzanne E Watters

Kenneth Joseph Weir

Loretta Weir

Evalynn Welling

Leslie Wessner

Kathie Westman

Christine Weyant

Jason Alan White-Wiedow

Linda Willhide

M. Kathleen Winter, PhD, MPH, RN

Dawn Winters, PhD

Justin Wojtkowski

Peter Wray

Edward Wrenn, M.D.

Mitchell Zotter

References: 

https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2021/01/21/senator-ted-cruz-paris-climate-accord-pittsburgh/

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/news/fossil-fuel-air-pollution-responsible-for-1-in-5-deaths-worldwide/

https://www.momscleanairforce.org/ethane-cracker-plants/

https://www.ehn.org/cancer-in-pittsburgh-pollution-hampers-prevention-progress-2628074364.html

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/environment/2013/11/21/Report-Allegheny-County-in-top-2-percent-in-U-S-for-cancer-risk-from-air-pollution/stories/201311210326

https://www.heinz.org/UserFiles/Library/PRETA_HAPS.pdf

https://breatheproject.org/patrolling-our-air/

https://www.desmog.com/2018/09/12/pipeline-exploded-pennsylvania-part-sprint-build-fracking-reliant-petrochemical-corridor/

https://www.ehn.org/here-are-the-25-zones-along-the-proposed-shell-falcon-pipeline-at-risk-of-explosions-due-to-landslides-2604629860.html  

https://www.fractracker.org/2021/04/2021-pipeline-incidents-update-safety-record-not-improving/

https://www.fractracker.org/2021/03/shells-falcon-pipeline-under-investigation-for-serious-public-safety-threats/

https://triblive.com/local/regional/im-just-so-angry-residents-welcome-grand-jury-report-slamming-pa-oversight-of-fracking-industry/

https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/taking-action/press-releases/43rd-statewide-grand-jury-finds-pennsylvania-failed-to-protect-citizens-during-fracking-boom/

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374103118

https://www.ehn.org/fractured-series-on-fracking-pollution-2650624600.html

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004896972035765X

https://www.ehn.org/health-impacts-of-fracking-2634432607.html

https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2020/fracking-chemical-may-interfere-with-male-sex-hormone-receptor

https://www.psr.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/too-dirty-too-dangerous.pdf

https://concernedhealthny.org

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140988321001286

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/news/ungsetbacks/

https://www.foei.org/news/these-eight-scandals-prove-shells-long-history-of-contempt-for-people-and-planet

https://www.fairplanet.org/dossier/eco-crimes-shell-and-the-niger-delta/

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/toxic-oil-found-half-million-dollar-california-homes/story?id=10647662

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/north-sea-oil-rigs-concrete-legs-oil-sediment-shell-decommissioning-a7567956.html

https://www.ecowatch.com/shell-oil-spill-dumps-nearly-90-000-gallons-of-crude-into-gulf-1891130324.html

http://priceofoil.org/2020/10/08/stretching-back-a-decade-shell-is-once-again-brought-to-court-over-landmark-pollution-case/

https://en.milieudefensie.nl/news/after-12-years-the-oil-pollution-lawsuit-against-shell-in-nigeria-is-almost-over

https://www.npr.org/2021/01/29/961997652/shell-ordered-to-compensate-nigerian-farmers-affected-by-oil-spills

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56041189

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/oil-gas-fracking-radioactive-investigation-937389/

https://time.com/4186250/ocean-plastic-fish/

https://pennenvironment.org/news/pae/new-report-microplastics-found-100-percent-tested-pennsylvania-waterways

https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/publications/microplastics-in-drinking-water/en/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2020/08/18/microplastics-found-in-human-organs-for-the-first-time

https://11bup83sxdss1xze1i3lpol4-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/The-Economic-Climate-Fiscal-Power-and-Demographic-Impact-of-a-National-Fee-and-Dividend-Carbon-Tax-5.25.18.pdf

https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/pennsylvanias-fossil-fuel-industry-received-37-billion-in-tax-breaks-in-2019-says-report/Content?oid=18993877

http://www.greenchoices.cornell.edu/publications/

https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/report-shows-natural-gas-fracking-didnt-produce-promised-jobs-to-pa-and-appalachia/Content?oid=18902088

https://newrepublic.com/article/161937/fossil-fuel-companies-job-killers

https://ieefa.org/ieefa-report-financial-risks-loom-for-shells-pennsylvania-petrochemical-complex/

https://www.pennlive.com/midstate/2014/12/fracking_brought_spikes_in_vio.html

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1752928X21000214  

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/apr/04/navajo-nation-fracking

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/11/plastics-appalachia-next-cancer-alley-fracking-public-health-ethane