When Governor Shapiro was Attorney General, the 43rd Statewide Investigating Grand Jury recommended a 2,500-foot no-drill zone between fracking and homes and a 5,000-foot no-drill zone for schools and hospitals.
In fall 2023, Governor Shapiro directed the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to implement some of these recommendations. However, instead of developing no-drill zones, he partnered with CNX, a gas company with a history of environmental violations, promising “radical transparency” of air, water, and wastewater monitoring data. So far, this promise appears to be more rhetoric than reality. Residents impacted by fracking feel betrayed by the lack of serious action.