UCLA students rally at Palisades Park during the nationwide event, “Freedom from Toxic Fracking Waste: National Rally Day,” on Wednesday, September 12, 2012.
Local grassroots organizers across the country held simultaneous rallies to spread awareness about on the numerous problems associated with toxic fracking waste and its disposal, including its links to earthquakes, spills, and leaks.
According to geologist Susie Beiersdorfer of Frackfree America National Coalition and Frackfree Mahoning Valley, “The public is not being fully or adequately informed of the risks of fracking and related processes to public health and safety and well-being. We are calling for increased transparency and public awareness about the truth of toxic fracking waste, which can contain naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) and numerous toxic chemicals or known carcinogens, like benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), that could find their way into drinking water sources or into soil and air via leaks, surface spills near waterways, or well casing failures.”
The groups believe that the rosy picture of drilling for oil and gas painted by slick, expensive radio and television advertisements by the gas and oil industry does not represent the real experiences of many everyday concerned citizens who live near injection wells or along the routes where fracking waste is, or will be, transported and possibly spilled. The groups say that there are too many unanswered questions about fracking waste, partially because gas and oil companies are exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act.
According to the coalition, every newly permitted fracking well will result in millions of gallons of toxic fracking wastewater being created, transported, and disposed of somewhere. Although the fracking waste is frequently referred to by the industry or others as “brine,” “saltwater,” or “produced water,” the groups believe that these euphemistic terms are highly misleading and give the public a false sense of reassurance about the alleged safety of the fracking waste.
“The truth is that the risks imposed by the production, transport, and disposal of toxic fracking waste are creating a serious public health problem. Toxic fracking waste can expose the public to a number of chemical and radioactive carcinogens, neurotoxins, and pulmonary and cardiovascular toxins. Children, whose immune systems are still developing, workers on drill sites, and those handling toxic fracking wastes are especially vulnerable to risks as are persons living or working near drilling sites, along toxic fracking disposal routes or at or near toxic fracking waste injection wells, ” said Vanessa Pesec of NEOGAP.
