Letter to the editor: Nowhere to hide from dangers of fracking

How much does the average Pennsylvania resident know about the fracking industry and the resulting health detriments it causes? The article “Fractured: Harmful chemicals and unknowns haunt Pennsylvanians surrounded by fracking” in Environmental Health News, about a Washington County family, is a must-read for those who have not been following the issues.

We in Westmoreland County are surrounded by drilling and can’t escape the cancer-causing results. There’s simply nowhere to go or hide. Know that the politicians are pushing drilling in the guise of providing unrealized money and job numbers. Know that Shell soon will have its facility completed, which will provide more plastics to an overly plasticized environment, and the jobs created at this facility will be minimal while their tax credits are monumental.

The statistics are all there, but they have to be known. Know them by reading this article. Your health and the health of those you love are at stake.

Marian Szmyd

Penn Township, Westmoreland County