Governor Shapiro, Ditch the Deal

The statement of mutual interest with CNX you announced in Washington County on November 1 is viewed as anything but a victory to the countless people who have suffered at the hands of drillers, including CNX, for years or who are concerned about the state’s inaction on the climate crisis. Nick DeIuliis makes no secret of his extreme positions on climate change and shale gas development. His own website includes a disclaimer that the positions he states are his own and not those of his company, yet he is the person whose name is on the document establishing the voluntary agreement.

He says in his post about the Department of Health/U Pitt studies that found, among other things, increased risk of lymphoma in children, “A ground game is churning that fabricates a storyline of the natural gas industry hurting residents: causing asthma, causing childhood cancers, and adversely impacting newborns. Making and broadcasting disgusting and baseless accusations to vilify and take down a noble and societally crucial endeavor, and in the process hurting the very region and communities the opportunists claim to work in the interest of.”

In a post on climate change, he said, “Shout out to UN carnival barker Guterres who quipped, ‘We are on a highway to climate hell.’”

You claim to be entering into this dubious agreement in the interest of gathering data in a process you said you believe will provide the public with some measure of protection. When the data don’t support Mr. Deiuliis’ views, will he opt out of sharing them? Regardless, we find no value in collecting more very limited data when plenty of data already exist - including data from your own Department of Health in the study Mr. Deiuliis discredits - that point to an intensifying public health crisis occurring in tandem with a climate crisis we are rapidly running out of time to address. We call on you to rescind your agreement with CNX.We challenge you to be the leader this precarious moment demands.