1Memorializing the Congress of the United States to repeal the
2provision in the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act that exempts
3oil and gas industries from restrictions on hydraulic
4fracturing operations located near drinking water sources,
5and to require oil and gas industries to disclose all
6hydraulic fracturing chemicals and chemical constituents in
7the event of a medical emergency.

8WHEREAS, Wise stewardship of our natural resources involves
9the protection of water supplies for generations to come; and

10WHEREAS, Protection of the public water supplies is best
11accomplished by measures that prevent contamination, rather than
12remediating and treating contaminated water supplies after the
13fact; and

14WHEREAS, In recent years, Pennsylvania's burgeoning natural
15gas industry has expanded its drilling operations to tap into
16the Marcellus Shale deposit located deep beneath the surface of
17the land; and

18WHEREAS, The oil and gas production process involves the use
19of industrial fluids and chemicals during drilling and hydraulic

1fracturing; and

2WHEREAS, Hydraulic fracturing of underground formations is
3accomplished by injecting a complex mix of fluids and chemicals,
4along with sand and water, under very high pressure to create
5fractures in those formations to access pockets of oil or
6natural gas; and

7WHEREAS, The companies that use hydraulic fracturing are not
8required to reveal the constituents of the chemicals they are
9injecting during hydraulic fracturing, since they are considered
10secret proprietary rights of the company; and

11WHEREAS, There is concern that some of the chemical
12constituents injected during hydraulic fracturing may have
13potential adverse health effects; and

14WHEREAS, In 2005, regulation of hydraulic fracturing was
15exempted from Federal regulations, thereby allowing the use of
16these substances without the Federal oversight of scientific
17standards that would be otherwise applicable; therefore be it

18RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
19Commonwealth of Pennsylvania call upon the Congress of the
20United States to:

21(1) Repeal the provision in the Federal Safe Drinking
22Water Act that exempts oil and gas industries from
23restrictions on hydraulic fracturing operations located near
24drinking water sources.

25(2) Require oil and gas industries to disclose all
26hydraulic fracturing chemicals and chemical constituents in
27the event of a medical emergency;

28and be it further

29RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
30the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each

1member of Congress from Pennsylvania.