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Protect Your Drinking Water From Toxic Chemicals
Action: Letter Campaign Issue: Hydraulic Fracturing Deadline: Aug. 12, 2009 
More Information:
 Did you know that the oil and gas industry, thanks to Dick Cheney and his old friends at Halliburton, are exempted from the Safe Drinking Water Act?
That's right: thanks to a provision slipped into the highly-controversial Energy Policy Act of 2005 at the request of Halliburton, Exxon and a handful of other corporations, the oil and gas industry was exempted from having to comply with critical provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act—a law that protects underground sources of drinking water for millions of Americans.
This exemption has allowed hydraulic fracturing—a process that increases oil and gas yields by shooting an oftentimes toxic brew of chemicals underground at high pressures—to go completely unregulated by federal law.
Hydraulic fracturing is already suspected of endangering drinking water in six states. However, due to the "Halliburton Loophole" exemption, EPA lacks the authority to investigate instances of contamination and cannot regulate this controversial practice.
Thankfully, concerned members of Congress in both the House and Senate have recently introduced legislation to close the "Halliburton Loophole" and ensure that Big Oil has to follow the same laws that every other industry does.
H.R. 2766, introduced by Diana DeGette (D-CO), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), and Jared Polis (D-CO); and S. 1215 introduced by Bob Casey (D-PA) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) would regulate hydraulic fracturing under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Please contact your congressperson and senators and ask them to cosponsor these important pieces of legislation.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Regulation of Hydraulic Fracturing
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I am writing today to express my concern about a highly-controversial process called hydraulic fracturing. As a member of Earthjustice, I've learned that hydraulic fracturing -- a process that shoots toxic chemicals underground to increase the yields of natural gas wells -- was exempted from the Safe Drinking Water Act in 2005.
Given that hydraulic fracturing has caused documented cases of drinking water contamination across the country, and that this process is being used in 9 out of 10 natural gas wells drilled in the United States, I would urge you to support legislation to close the hydraulic fracturing exemption.
H.R. 2766 and S. 1215 would simply close the special interest exemption that the oil and gas industry received in 2005, and regulate hydraulic fracturing under the Safe Drinking Water Act -- a law that every other major industry already complies with today.
Please cosponsor these important pieces of legislation.
Sincerely,
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