Polish Farmers from Zorawlow Oppose Fracking

Since June 3, farmers and residents in a small rural village of Zurawlow in Poland are in a stand-off with Chevron company. They defend their land, their activity and their way of living. They fear the pollution of groundwater, what had happened already two years ago in their neighborhood, after seismic research of shale gas. They know that when Chevron will find the gas in their backyard, nothing and nobody will be able to stop the imperial development of industrial gas activity on their land, transforming irreversibly in few years their wonderful, peaceful region, the granary of Poland, into industrial, polluted desert.

Under the protection of security, and in a very tense atmosphere, Chevron took possession of the land trying to install a fence and to start seismic testing. The local farmers know that when seismic research will be finished and gas reserved will be confirmed, the drilling and fracking will follow, and in few years hundreds or thousands of wills will appear. Then there will be no place for agriculture and tourism, and their lives will loose any sense.

The Polish farmers are opposed to unconventional shale gas drilling because it could lead to the contamination of their water, soil and air. During previous seismic tests on-site explosives were used and had already caused water pollution: it became unfit for use. All the licenses accorded to Chevron by the Polish Ministry of Environment are located on the three biggest underground water reservoirs in Poland, so the risk of general water pollution in the region is very strong – it’s just a question of time. It concerns not only Poland but also Ukraine, because of cross-border location of one of the reservoirs, but Ukraine was probably neither asked the permission, nor informed about the risks.

Chevron is refusing to listen to the farmers, and local authorities are refusing to resolve the ongoing conflict. The pressure of the state government on local authorities and on all the public institutions makes that people are kept under surveillance, their phones are tapped, they are subject to fiscal and sanitary controls, and they are threatened of penalties. Chevron intimidates and bribes individuals and families, closing all possibility of any democratic control, signing only secret contracts, even with local governments, for example for the road usage.

Chevron’s practices in Poland are very strongly supported by the Polish government and there are almost no mainstream media that would dare to tell the truth about the risks of fracking. That’s why public opinion is rather in favor of shale gas exploitation.

The Polish public opinion needs to be informed and we need to reinforce the public expression on the government, on Chevron and other gas companies, on local authorities, and help local communities to defend their way of living and the their future.

Farmers from Zorawlow

more info on:
http://occupychevron.tumblr.com/
facebook.com/occupychevronPL