Dear Public Servants

Dear Public Servants,

We must pass the strongest legislation possible to protect all West Virginia waters and lands, not only for ourselves, but for all generations to come. Our water is our most important currency; it's Life itself.

I have been studying this hydraulic fracturing process and the companies that are doing this for some time.

Fact #1- In every state that has agreed to this process, there have been disasters to the water supply--most recently to a river in Pennsylvania that left 850,000 with undrinkable water. Arkansas has had 800 earthquakes in 6 months (the last one a 4.7, never having had one of that magnitude before) due to this process.

Fact#2 - This industry has no uniform standards. They regulate themselves.

Fact#3 - They can use 700,000 gallons of lethal chemicals every time they fracture and up to 7,000,000 gallons of water for each fracture, and can fracture one well site 18 times.

Fact#4- The back flow containing lethal benzene as well as other extremely toxic chemicals pool back for 30 years after this process is done. There is actually an open pit or pool that is contaminating to the environment.

Fact#5 - The reason Pennsylvania's river became poisoned was because their sewage treatment plant could not break down the salts and chemicals. There needs to be a strict and proper system in place to get rid of the waste.

Fact#6 - These companies do not even have to tell you what chemicals are being used.

Fact #7- It is a lie that this will create jobs for WV. They hire very few locals for this process. They bring in their own.

I will stop here. There's actually better information on www.democracynow.org; or watch what happened in Colorado in the academy award-nominated film, "Gasland," by Josh Fox.

The gas industry will deny all of this. But they really can't. It's up to us to protect ourselves. The EPA whistleblower from Colorado in the film, "Gasland," said there was nothing he could do.

My question is, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS? Where is your vote going? You will never regret doing the right thing. Really educate yourselves about this issue. It's not going away.

Sincerely,
Donnyl Patterson