Frackfree
Mahoning
Valley
News
Release
_______________________________________________________
For
Immediate Release: May 22, 2012
______________________________________________________
CITING
DOCTORS’ “GAG RULE,” FRACKING OPPONENTS WANT AN IMMEDIATE DELAY ON THE OHIO SB
315 VOTE PLANNED FOR MAY 23
Youngstown,
Ohio – Citing
a provision that they say could interfere in the private doctor-patient
relationship, opponents of fracking and related processes say that they want an
immediate delay of the vote by the Ohio House Public Utilities Committee on
Senate Bill 315.
The
group says that the doctors’ “gag rule,” as it has been dubbed, was quietly put
into the bill, SB 315, after the public comment period had ended. The group is concerned that the general public
and especially medical professionals have not yet been adequately informed about
what is in the bill and its implications for doctors and their
patients.
Donna
Carver, who is a nurse, was quoted in an article found on nbc4i.com and
attributed to the Associated Press and NBC 4 (May 21, 2012, “Environmentalists
Criticize Ohio Drilling Rules”). An excerpt follows:
“‘This
clause, as written, gags doctors from notifying the health department of
possible contamination and exposure to the public to these chemicals,’ Carver
said. ‘This does not protect Ohio citizens public health but it protects the oil
and gas industry from liability.’ “
See
the news video of some of the testimony here:
Many
groups who advocate a moratorium or ban on fracking thank the six senators who
so wisely voted against SB 315 on May 15, 2012. These senators are: Sen. Cafaro, Sen. Sawyer, Sen. Schiavoni, Sen.
Skindell, Sen. Tavares, and Sen. Turner. The groups appreciate that these
legislators seem to be listening to the rapidly growing number of constituent
concerns regarding the public interest and the
health and safety of the people potentially affected by gas drilling,
fracking and related processes.
Kari
Matsko of the statewide group, People's Oil & Gas Collaborative-Ohio (www.ohiogasdrilling.com ),
pointed to a States Comparison document saying, "Chemical disclosure provisions
in other state laws mandate first responders and public health officials must be
disclosed trade secret information where applicable, as opposed to laying all
the responsibility on a medical professional as proposed in SB
315."
(See
the document at: http://ohiogasdrilling.com/reports/
)
Geologist
Susie Beiersdorfer of Frackfree Mahoning Valley (www.frackfreemahoning.blogspot.com ) said, “Anyone who
votes yes on this bill, SB 315, as it stands today, I believe, is voting against
the public interest as it relates to public health and safety. This bill is too
important for all Ohio citizens and their families to let it be rushed through
before Ohioans really know what the bill contains. We need an immediate delay on
the voting in order to get public feedback on the bill, especially from medical
professionals, physicians, and first responders, who, we believe, may not even
know that this ‘gag order’ is being considered. It is the right thing to do, and
we hope that the legislators will see the common sense and fairness of
implementing this much-needed delay.”
The
groups believe that there needs to be public comment and discussion on this gag
rule and other unacceptable provisions of the bill, such as removing the
public’s right to contest a drilling site.
Opponents
of this bill want someone to step up to the plate to officially demand an
immediate delay in voting on SB 315 planned for May 23. They believe that
whoever does so will gain great public support for upholding the public interest
and the interests of all Ohio families and citizens’ health and
safety.
For
media inquiries or more information, e-mail:
frackfreemahoning@gmail.com
or call:
234-201-0402
People’s
Oil & Gas Collaborative – Ohio (POGCO):
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