To: Portage Town Board
Town Board of Portage, NY
Slick-water hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) is a process by which gas is extracted from underground reserves. It's known as hydrofracking or fracking. The process begins by injecting millions of gallons of fluid (a mixture of water, sand, and highly toxic chemicals) into gas wells that run both vertically and horizontally underground, under such high pressure that it fractures the shale.
We are requesting this moratorium be in place until the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is able to finish its current study on the environmental risks of hydrofracking, so that the town is able to fully understand and evaluate the impact on our community.
Why is this important?
We, the undersigned residents of the Township of Portage, petition the Town Board to impose a moratorium on gas extraction using high-volume, slick water, hydraulic fracturing in the Township of Portage. The methods used and the intensity of industrial development threaten our clean air, clean water, soil, rural landscapes, and health, as well as our social and economic well being.