Hot-Line Phone is 570-904-2643; Email is fracking@attorneygeneral.gov

Read more in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette
PA Attorney General’s Fracking page

Fortunately, in Pennsylvania, there is a new option for households that want to have an impact on the fracking problem that bypasses local concerns. The Attorney General’s office has established a tip-line that PA residents can use to report damage that they have suffered from fracking and related activities, as well as failures of state agencies, such as the state Department of Environmental Protection, to address problems that are reported. This tip line was established in part at the urging of DCS. The PA AG’s office has opened an investigation of environmental crimes related to fracking which has already yielded two indictments, and is still ongoing, so communication with this office is a very effective way of producing action. The Hot-line removes the necessity of going through the mostly pro-gas/oil industry county officials to reach the AG’s office.

At the best of times, one of the problems damaged households have in reporting problems and seeking help is that, in the type of economically disadvantaged area where fracking typically takes place, conservative pro-fossil-fuel sentiment frequently prevails among local municipal and county officials, as well as the business community. Not only does this mean that the complaints/reports of our grassroots contacts are often either thwarted or ignored, but making these reports may even create social problems for impacted people in the community.

This has been made worse by the Covid-19 phenomenon because of the impact of the virus on the job situation. People who might otherwise step forward to take action are being made reluctant by their dependence on the good will of local business owners on whom their existing jobs, or their possibility of getting a new job having lost one during the pandemic, rely.