June 21, 2013
Pavillion-area citizens, landowners and environmental groups today condemned Gov. Mead’s (R-WY) announcement that the state is assuming control from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the investigation into groundwater contamination by fracking-enabled oil and gas development near Pavillion, WY.
Natural gas drilling equipment on the Pinedale Anticline, WY. Photo credit: Richard Waite, Flickr
In the announcement, the Governor congratulated EPA and Encana—the company operating in the Pavillion area—for working with him to “chart a positive course” for the investigation.
“We went to the EPA for help after the State of Wyoming and Encana refused to address the public health impacts of unbridled development in the Pavillion area,” said Pavillion farmer John Fenton. “Now Encana has bought its way back in and is working with the state on a strategy to cover up the mess they’ve created.”
“Our government’s priority is clearly to protect industry rather than Wyoming citizens, our health and our property values. Gov. Mead, the Obama administration and Encana have decided what is best for our community without consulting us,” Fenton continued. “We were presented with Mead’s vague plan at the same time it was released to the public. Unlike the other stakeholders, we bear the brunt of living in the toxic mess that has become our community, but our input has been thrown out with EPA’s investigation. This is a sad day for our country.”
Please read the rest of the story at ecowatch: http://ecowatch.com/2013/groups-call-foul-epa-hands-fracking-contamination-investigation-to-state/
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