Press Releases

On Thursday, Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA-08) introduced two pieces of legislation to hold oil and gas industries accountable to national standards for water and air protection.

The first bill, known as the CLEANER Act, will ensure oil and gas companies are responsible for cleaning up and disposing of the hazardous waste that results from their operations. Specifically, the bill would eliminate current exemptions for those industries in the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act, which was enacted four decades ago to keep Americans safe from harmful pollutants. The second piece of legislation, known as the FRESHER Act, will close the loophole for oil and gas companies in the Clean Water Act, and will mandate a study on the effects of stormwater runoff from these industries’ operations.

“Northeastern Pennsylvania is blessed with abundant natural resources, water streams and wildlife, and it’s important that we preserve them for future generations,” Congressman Cartwright said. “These bills will close damaging loopholes in current legislation to ensure dangerous pollutants don’t seep into our waterways and our land.”

The CLEANER Act and the FRESHER Act are part of the broader ‘Frack Pack,’ a group of five environmental bills that also includes:

• the BREATHE Act, introduced by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY), to prevent toxic air pollution by reversing the exemption of oil and gas exploration and production activities,
• the FRAC Act, introduced by Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01), to reverse exemptions for oil and natural gas industries under the Safe Drinking Water Act,
• and the SHARED Act, introduced by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, to require testing for water contamination near fracking sites.

The Frack Pack aims to close these loopholes in order to address growing environmental concerns caused by industrial pollution. The legislation package is supported by important environmental organizations, including the National Parks Conservation Association, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, and the Endangered Species Coalition.

“For too long, the oil and gas industry has been free to pollute our air and water without being held accountable. The introduction of these bills is a critical step toward protecting our communities from the dangerous effects of fracking,” said Sierra Club Deputy Legislative Director Matthew Gravatt. “The Sierra Club applauds Rep. Cartwright and the cosponsors of these important bills for their leadership in ending the special treatment of corporate polluters.” 

“It’s no secret that pollutants from oil and gas operations threatens nearby water supplies, air quality, wildlife habitat and downstream national parks, including Theodore Roosevelt and Canyonlands,” said Natalie Levine, Program Manager for Park Resource Protection at the National Parks Conservation Association. “The legislation introduced by Representatives Cartwright, DeGette and others will end regulatory loopholes for fracking companies that currently threaten clean water supplies and air quality in and around our national parks.”

“The oil and gas industry has benefited from special exemptions from federal regulations for decades,” said Barbara Vasquez, Oil and Gas Committee Chair at the Western Organization of Resource Councils. “Spills and waste from oil and gas production continue to damage our land, air, and water across the West. All we ask is that oil and gas play by the same rules as other American industries, and this legislation helps guide that outcome by closing an outstanding loophole and eliminating dangerous exemptions.”

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