Plug the Fracking Leaks EPA!

A fracked gas storage container in Aliso Canyon California has been leaking for months. It's already released more than 77,000 tons of fracked gas, making it the biggest climate polluter in California. It's also making people sick: nearby residents have complained of headaches, nosebleeds and nausea, and the fracked gas is making smog and ozone pollution worse.

Hundreds of people have been evacuated, thousands are suing the company. The Governor has declared a state of Emergency, and California members of Congress are demanding action.

But back in Washington, D.C., President Obama and the EPA already have a solution: The EPA is already finalizing rules to limit methane leaks. But the rules don't go far enough, and they don't yet apply to existing storage sites like Aliso Canyon. Tell the EPA and President Obama to quit dragging their feet, and to toughen up the EPA's proposed rules to plug ALL the fracking leaks.

President Barack Obama

Gina McCarthy (US EPA)

Subject:*

Your Letter:*
The unfolding crisis in Aliso Canyon California has shown the danger of Methane leaks. This one storage facility has released more than 77,000 metric tons of methane already - becoming California's largest source of global warming pollution. The EPA's proposed rule to reduce methane leaks from new oil and gas drilling equipment are a start. But this doesn't go nearly far enough to protect public health or our climate. President Obama and the EPA should instruct their staff to improve the existing EPA proposal in the following ways: -- Cover all parts of drilling and transport of fracked gas - especially storage vessels, compressors at fracking sites, liquid unloading operations and pneumatic controllers. Every step from the fracking wellhead to local delivery lines needs to be regulated. -- More mandatory inspections and faster requirements to fix leaks once detected. We need to catch and fix leaks and problems right away, not weeks or months later as in California. -- Local communities need to be part of monitoring and enforcement, not notified by corporate decree only after a major accident or leak. Residents in California were evacuated only after living for weeks or months with dangerous chemicals and disgusting odors. -- Require oil and gas companies to use the methane gas, not just burn or flare it at the site. This will reduce waste and save consumers money in addition to protecting public health and the climate. In the end, no rule can make fracked gas safe. The only real solution is to leave fracked gas, and all fossil fuels, in the ground. But communities like those near Aliso Canyon need immediate protection for their health, and our climate can't wait. I urge you to act now to regulate leaks of methane from ALL fracking infrastructure. Thanks,

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Original Petition by Environmental Action