A letter from the odious/radical "environmental" group Food & Water Watch to Philadelphia Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr., a member of the Gas Commission that oversees Philly Gas Works (which buys PA Marcellus gas). The letter urges Jones to not attend a Marcellus Shale drilling rig tour, apparently afraid he may learn the truth that such activity is perfectly safe for the environment. FWW tried to bully Jones into not going, but Jones went any way. He wants to learn the truth about fracking first-hand, for himself, rather than rely on less-than-truthful information from groups like FWW.

1.
The
Honorable
Curtis
Jones,
Jr.
Philadelphia
City
Councilman
Philadelphia
City
Council
City
Hall
Room
404
Philadelphia,
PA
19107
Councilman
Jones,
We
are
writing
to
express
our
surprise
and
dismay
that
your
office
plans
on
co-­‐hosting
a
tour
of
fracking
infrastructure
with
the
Marcellus
Shale
Coalition
and
several
fracking
industry
corporations.
You
have
been
a
vocal
ally
of
the
movement
to
protect
Philadelphia’s
water
from
opening
up
the
Delaware
River
Basin
to
hydraulic
fracturing.
You
sponsored
a
2011
City
Council
resolution
supporting
a
moratorium
on
hydraulic
fracturing
in
the
Delaware
River
Basin.
You
spoke
at
anti-­‐fracking
rallies
such
as
Shale
Gas
Outrage.
Most
recently,
you
co-­‐hosted
a
2014
City
Council
hearing
on
oil
trains,
and
supported
a
resolution
urging
better
safety
on
oil
trains
coming
through
our
city.
Councilman
Jones,
you
have
worked
closely
on
the
issue
of
fracking
with
Philadelphia-­‐area
environmental
groups
for
years.
Why
use
your
office’s
resources
to
promote
an
event
with
the
Marcellus
Shale
Coalition,
an
industry
group
notorious
for
working
to
hide
the
impacts
of
fracking
from
Pennsylvania
voters,
governmental
officials,
and
scientists?
The
trip
also
comes
as
Harrisburg’s
budget
standoff
risks
shutting
down
social
services
agencies
and
public
schools.
To
be
clear,
we
oppose
making
funding
for
fundamental
social
programs
contingent
on
more
widespread
fracking
in
the
state,
as
the
proposed
fracking
tax
would
do.
Social
services
critical
to
Philadelphians,
such
as
schools
and
healthcare
clinics,
require
stable
and
adequate
funding.
But,
we
stand
in
solidarity
with
organizations
advocating
for
a
fair
funding
formulate,
in
opposition
to
the
corporate
takeover
of
our
state
government,
chiefly
orchestrated
by
Marcellus
Shale
Coalition.
We
are
concerned
that
your
coordinated
tour
of
fracking
infrastructure
will
empower
the
gas
industry
and
their
Republican
allies
in
the
budget
debate
beyond
their
opposition
to
the
fracking
tax,
and
that
inadequate
funding
for
education
and
basic
social
services
will
continue.
We
urge
you
to
remove
your
office
as
a
sponsor
of
this
tour,
and
to
instruct
your
staff
that
they
should
focus
on
serving
your
constituents
in
your
Philadelphia
office,
rather
than
spending
the
day
with
the
industry
front
group
responsible
for
undermining
the
health
of
Philadelphia’s
education
system.
In
the
stead
of
attending
tomorrow’s
tour,
we
encourage

2. you
to
meet
with
our
leaders
to
discuss
the
health
and
safety
issues
posed
by
the
expansion
of
fracking
infrastructure
in
Philadelphia.
Sincerely,
Sam
Bernhardt
Senior
Pennsylvania
Organizer
Food
&
Water
Watch
267-­‐428-­‐1903
sbernhardt@fwwatch.org