We have before us a landmark opportunity to protect our health and safety from the dangers of future fracking, which threatens the air we breathe, the water we drink, and soil in which we grow our food. Proposition 112 would be the first time in U.S. history that we the people, not elected officials, take action to protect our communities from the harms of fracking operations. And the time for action is now.
There are 47,000 active oil and gas wells and 82,000 inactive wells statewide, with toxic spills/releases totaling more than 4,000 – 100 percent contaminating soil and 43 percent contaminating ground water. Additionally, companies pump toxic fracking waste underground via “injection wells.” One Colorado injection site has been found that holds up to 1.26 trillion gallons of toxic wastewater.
According to a recent report by Physicians for Social Responsibility, a 2012 risk assessment that used air samples close to well pads in Garfield County, Colorado concluded that residents living less than a half mile away (2,640 feet) are at greater risk for negative neurological, respiratory, hematological and developmental health effects and have a higher cancer risk than those living farther. Additionally, exploding homes, earthquakes, and methane-related climate changes are Colorado realities; however, this November we the people have the power to make our state a healthier and safer place to live.
Your vote can make history – Vote YES on 112!
Michelle Williams
Carbondale
