| Dear UCS supporter, It's hot. You're thirsty. You fill a tall glass with water. As you gulp it down, you notice the local paper: there's been a leak at a nearby fracking well—but the gas company says there's nothing to worry about. They're blasting undisclosed chemicals into the ground near your home, yet you're expected to take them at their word. Is it safe to drink that glass of water? Is it safe let your kids play outside? Millions of people who live near the 82,000 hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) wells in the United States don't have much of a choice in the matter—if they even know to ask these questions. That's not right, and we're pressuring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take a relatively simple step to end the secrecy around fracking immediately—but we need your help. To end fracking secrecy and fight global warming, we need you with us in 2015. Please join the Union of Concerned Scientists by making a tax-deductible gift today. Help reach our goal of 4,000 member gifts by February 28! One in four Americans lives within a mile of an oil or gas well. Studies show that the closer you live to a fracking site, the more likely you are to experience painful skin rashes, nose bleeds, breathing trouble, and chronic headaches.1 There's even research linking fracking to earthquakes. For instance, a part of Ohio that had never had earthquakes before saw 77 fracking-induced earthquakes in just one week.2 It seems that fracking is everywhere, but the science on its impact is limited and only just emerging—in part because scientists have a very hard time getting access to the chemicals used in the process. In most states, companies can claim they're protecting “trade secrets” to hide what chemicals they use in their fracking operations from the public.3 Meanwhile, people are getting sick, and families are scared. But UCS members won't let this stand. That's why we're calling on the EPA to require fracking companies to at least tell the public what chemicals they're using. It's a small but necessary first step in bringing fracking practices under proper scientific scrutiny. UCS activists have already sent more than 30,000 letters to the EPA calling for this commonsense policy change. But we need to do more. Help pressure the EPA to end fracking secrecy. Become a member of the Union of Concerned Scientists now. We've got our work cut out for us, especially because the industry's most powerful friends have just taken control of key committees in Congress. While in office, Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) took time out of his busy schedule to write a book called, The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future. He's taken nearly $1.7 million from the oil and gas industry throughout his career. And he's now in charge of the committee that oversees the EPA.4 I believe the EPA wants to do the right thing, but it's going to come down to priorities on this one. Every time they hear from industry-friendly politicians like Senator Inhofe or oil giants like ExxonMobil, they need to hear from twice as many of us. That's why we're mobilizing grassroots support on this issue, distributing our fracking toolkit for community activists far and wide, and making sure our network of oil and gas experts are ready to respond to whatever misinformation the industry broadcasts when the EPA finally acts. You can help make that happen—by becoming a member today. Will you be one of the 4,000 people we need to make membership gifts this month—to win on fracking secrecy and fully fund all of our campaigns? Become a member to keep our campaigns going strong. Thank you for fighting for science, and for your generous support.  | Sincerely,
Ken Kimmell
President
Union of Concerned Scientists |
1. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/16/fracking-air-pollution-health-nrdc/20451639/, http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/09/10/respiratory-skin-problems-soar-near-gas-wells-study-says
2. http://www.livescience.com/49326-fracking-caused-ohio-earthquakes.htmlbr/> 3. http://blog.ucsusa.org/fracking-chemicals-and-our-health-epa-considers-a-hydraulic-fracturing-chemical-disclosure-rule-590
4. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inhofe-an-epa-foe-likely-to-lead-senate-environment-committee/2014/11/05/d0b4221e-64f4-11e4-836c-83bc4f26eb67_story.html, http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/industries.php?cycle=Career&type=I&cid=N00005582&newMem=N&recs=20 | 
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