Evangelical Environmental Network

A Statement from Rev. Mitch Hescox, President/CEO of EEN

Courage to do the right thing!  Yesterday eighteen Republicans in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly had the courage defend our children’s lives and landowner’s rights by voting No on HB 2154, a bill designed to roll back performance and protection standards in the oil and gas sector to how things were in the early 80s.

We commend the following Representatives for voting the right way on HB 2154:

• Stephen Barrar (160)
• Karen Boback (117)
• Alex Charlton (165)
• Becky Corbin (155)
• Gene DiGirolamo (18)
• Harold English (30)
• Frank Farry (142)
• Mark Gillen (128)
• Kate Harper (61)
• Tim Hennessey (26)
• Warren Kampf (157)
• Thomas Mehaffie (106)
• Nick Miccarelli (162)
• Duane Milne (167)
• Tom Murt (152)
• Chris Quinn (168)
• Marguerite Quinn (143)
• Eric Roe (158)

Over 100,000 pro-life Christians in PA support clean energy and protecting our children from pollution from the oil and gas sector.  As pro-life evangelicals, we want children to be born healthy and unhindered by the ravages of pollution. A study by University of Pittsburgh researchers found evidence of low birthweight babies associated with proximity to unconventional natural gas wells in Butler County, PA, and another study in 2015 linked birth defects to methane production.  Up to 40% of children who live within a half mile of natural gas production site are born premature. Knowing this, most Republicans in the Pennsylvania house voted to pass this harmful legislation as another subsidy to the natural gas industry. But not these 18 champions for our kids!

These 18 legislators need to be commended, thanked, and recognized for their outstanding efforts to support the health of our children, both pre-born and born.  Thank you for valuing our children and their health above the gas industry’s bottom line. You are the true conservatives in Pennsylvania.

God Bless Them For Their Courage!