Don't Frack Maryland--Elected Official Sign-on Letter
We, the undersigned elected officials from across Maryland, are concerned about the devastating impacts hydraulic fracturing could pose on communities across the state, and urge the Maryland General Assembly to pass a ban on fracking during the 2017 legislative session.
Citing significant public health risks, including those documented in Maryland’s own health study, New York officials announced in 2014 that they would ban hydraulic fracturing in the State. Since that decision, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has released two new large-scale studies showing significant associations between fracking and both preterm births and asthma attacks.
In addition, several jurisdictions in Maryland have already banned fracking within their borders, including Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and two towns in Garrett County. The General Assembly should follow the leadership of these communities and pass a statewide fracking ban.
We also know that the majority of Americans don’t support fracking. According to a March 2016 Gallup poll, 51% of Americans oppose fracking. People are increasingly aware of the growing body of evidence that shows fracking and related infrastructure pose a major threat to our climate, health, and communities. We take the concerns of our constituents very seriously, which is why we support a fracking ban in Maryland.
It is now abundantly clear that fracking endangers public health and is the wrong approach to building a clean, sustainable energy future. Maryland must enact a statewide ban on hydraulic fracturing.