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- Thousands of protestors from across the country gathered in front of the U.S. Capitol in the first national rally against hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, on Saturday. They also made a stop at the American Petroleum Institute. Another demonstration is set for New York in August, according to a press release.
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- Thousands of protestors walked down the streets of Washington, shouting slogans such as “Stop the fracking attack” and “Obama, we don’t need your fracking drama.”
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- Protesters held up bottles of tap water, which they said were polluted by the fracking sites near their homes.
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- Traffic was blocked by the rally.
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- A demonstrator wore a gas mask to protect against the release of toxic substances that protesters say happens during the fracking process.
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- Protesters gathered in front of the American Petroleum Institute.
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- A banner symbolizing a fracking site was tore down among cheers in front of the institute.
WASHINGTON– Thousands of protesters traveled to Washington on Saturday to demand that Congress to take action against hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a controversial technology that involves injecting water, sand and chemicals underground to extract natural gas.
More than 130 organizations nationwide supported the rally, includingand Josh Fox, director of Gasland, an Oscar best documentary nominee in 2011.
Opponents of the technology say fracking pollutes underground water and emits a lot of greenhouse gases. Industries say there is no real evidence of environmental damage and defend fracking as a game changer that has led a natural gas boom in the country.
The Environmental Protection Agency is conducting ongoing studies focusing on the technology’s potential impact on water. A final draft is expected in 2014.