This past election, voters turned out in extraordinary numbers to protect our families and our planet. The Shapiro administration begins at a time of opportunity to help Pennsylvanians take full advantage of federal resources that could help cut energy costs and keep our families healthy.

But we know the old adage is true — all politics is local. While it can often feel like “real” decisions are made elsewhere, nothing could be further from the truth. National and statewide leaders influence policy, but they don’t determine whether a fracking well gets built in your neighborhood, contaminating your water and releasing toxic chemicals into the air you breathe.

Those decisions are made by local leaders like municipal supervisors, who are beholden to us, the residents. I founded Protect Penn-Trafford (protectpt.org) in 2014 to bring community voices and data to every permit hearing in our area, educating and empowering residents to fight for their environmental rights.

Now, we’re fighting to change an ordinance in Penn Township that has allowed for an increase in the number and the continued development of unconventional gas well pads and related infrastructure. Protect PT is the front-line defense against the harmful effects of fossil-fuel activity.

Together, we can defeat the big oil and gas companies. And when we win, the whole country wins.

Gillian Graber

Penn Township, Westmoreland County

The writer is executive director of Protect Penn-Trafford.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)