One of the comments (more realistic than the lobby group’s letter included below):
Bob D
We get it Mr. Spigelmyer, your job is to sell fracking, which is not unlike being a snake oil salesman, in so many ways. If you are so interested in health science around fracking, why weren’t you at the “Shale and Public Health” conference Tuesday in Pittsburgh, where we heard from top researchers across the US who are studying the ill-health effects of gas production?
Brian S. Schwartz, M.D. M.S. – Professor in the Department of – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health put it best:
“I first thought that this bridge to renewables might not be a bad idea. But this ain’t no short bridge.. this can’t be a 50 year bridge. What would I say now, I would say because of the real and local health concerns, and concerns about climate change, I think we should stop fracking.”
And since he and his colleagues have sliced and diced complete and detailed health data, every way to Tuesday on fracked regions of Pennsylvania, he said, “If these health effects are not due to fracking, what has changed, we couldn’t think of anything else.”
Let’s face facts Mr. Spigelmyer, Washington County had the first local fracking 15 years ago and that county is now polluted with over 64 compressor stations and gas processing facilities, one of those being a monster cryogenic plant close to many of these youth cancers. Many of the toxic, football sized frac wastewater pits that had egregious environmental violations have been closed or neutered.
We know the facts on the carcinogens your industry produces as do you, the endocrine disrupting chemicals it hides, and all the gagged litigants who held the smoking guns.
You’re beating a dead horse, which there have been, in addition to all the dead cattle in Washington County, Pa. No one has a clue about that history of fracking, yet. You and the MSC would be better served continuing to cultivate your close crony ties with politicians in Harrisburg, who Scott Perry, Deputy Secretary of the Pa DEP Oil and Gas Mgmt described to the crowd Tuesday, “There is absolutely no support for our agency in the legislature.”
What a sad thing, too many of our representatives in Harrisburg are at the beck and call of your dangerous industry, at the environmental costs and risks to everyday citizens, and future generations.
Keep supporting them with your industry’s contributions, it’s working all too well. But please spare us your narrow and biased opinions since you are not a doctor, and obviously have no desire to learn the science at world renowned health conferences near you.
A missing link? by David Spigelmyer, President Marcellus Shale Coalition, Nov 20, 2019
We firmly agree with the Post-Gazette’s Nov. 10 editorial “Fear and Frustration,” calling for “good science” on the serious, complex and tragic Ewing sarcoma-related matters. However, the editorial lacked key facts and critical context regarding independent studies, expert views held by UPMC cancer specialists, as well as other data and information that the paper’s readers deserve.
Childhood cancer rates in Washington County are lower than the rest of the state, according to the state’s chief epidemiologist Dr. Sharon Watkins. “That’s a good finding,” she said at an October public community meeting.
We agree — and it is an important fact that should not be overlooked.
We appreciate the objective, rigorous and science-based approach that our state health officials, and others, continue to take aimed at better [covering-up] understanding these complicated and heartbreaking health matters [to ensure the profit raping continues, no matter how many cancers hit your youth].
Like everyone else seeking additional clarity, as well as answers and solutions, we appreciate and are encouraged that UPMC’s Ewing sarcoma experts have received funding to study a potential genetic link to this cruel disease. [As usual, lobby groups/propagandists and even experts (because they want to keep their careers) ensure “studies” are done to blame those harmed by the polluters. This happens in Canada too]
Refer also to:
Fracing’s long reach: New Study says Fracking Wells Could Pollute The Air Hundreds Of Miles Away
Pennsylvania: Greene County leads state in child cancer admissions
“What is the acceptable risk for increased risk for childhood cancer? It’s zero.”