Don't Frack N.C.
The General Assembly has voted to lift some restrictions on “fracking,” the dangerous form of natural gas drilling that could pollute the Deep River, Jordan Lake, the Eno and other treasured waters. There’s still time to stop it from happening.
The fight is just beginning
Out-of-state companies have already bought upwards of 9,000 acres to drill in Chatham, Moore and Lee counties, and the General Assembly has created a polluter- friendly commission to pave the way for the controversial drilling practice—as early as 2014—over the objections of thousands of North Carolinians, local elected officials and even Gov. Bev Perdue.
But the fight is just beginning. Fracking can’t begin until lawmakers lift North Carolina’s moratorium. With your support, we’ll make sure our legislators maintain our drilling ban and protect our valued waters.
Across the country, fracking has polluted vital waterways and been linked to more than 1,000 suspected cases of drinking water contamination.
Protecting our drinking water, the Deep River and more
“Fracking,” shorthand for hydraulic fracturing, is the process by which water, sand and toxic chemicals are injected into wells to fracture the surrounding rock and extract shale gas.
The process has contaminated water supplies and increased air pollution around the country. A study from North Carolina’s environmental protection agency estimated that the drinking water for hundreds of thousands could be at risk.
That’s why Environment North Carolina is calling on lawmakers and local elected officials to put a permanent moratorium in place, protecting our waters and our environment from this risky drilling practice.
With your activism and our advocacy, we can protect our rural landscapes
We refuse to let the drinking water that serves 400,000 to become tainted — and we have a plan to convince state leaders to maintain North Carolina's prohibition on fracking. We're bringing together North Carolinians from all walks of life to protect our waterways. All of us have something to fight for.
Our citizen outreach staff has been knocking on doors across the state to educate North Carolinians about what's at stake.
And thousands of you have joined the fight too. Across the state, you're calling or emailing your legislators, signing petitions, spreading the word to your friends and family, and speaking out at official hearings.
Join our campaign, and take action to protect our waters, by clicking here.
Call on your leaders in Raleigh to protect our water and prevent fracking in North Carolina.
Key Facts
- Fracking has been linked to more than 1,000 cases of water contamination across the country, involving polluted tap water and toxic spills.
- Gas companies have already bought drilling leases in Chatham, Moore and Lee counties.
- A recent Duke University study linked fracking sites to methane contamination in drinking water.
- The Deep River, which runs through Moore and Lee counties in central N.C., is a source of drinking water, a home to rare wildlife, and a popular spot for canoeing and fishing.
- In 2011, Environment North Carolina and allied groups convinced Gov. Bev Perdue to veto the pro-drilling, pro-fracking Senate Bill 709.