Stop the mad dash

Recently I've become concerned about the environmental and health threats posed by gas drilling in the Marcellus shale, an underground gas formation covering huge areas of the state.

One ongoing problem with this type of gas drilling is that when spills and accidents happen -- and they have already happened regularly in the state -- it can result in toxic pollution leaking into our rivers and streams, such as a tributary of Cross Creek Lake in Washington County, and dangerous methane pollution migrating into nearby drinking water supplies. In fact, such spills and accidents have already caused major fish kills in some Pennsylvania streams and have even forced some residents to switch over to bottled water.

It is imperative that if gas drilling is taking place in Pennsylvania, it's done in a way that protects public health and our precious environment.

I plan on contacting my state legislators to tell them to slow this mad dash to drill until they can ensure that gas drilling will not threaten our water, air and land, as well as the health of Pennsylvanians. I urge you to do the same.

YIFENG YU
Oakland