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Legislator alleges fraud in DEP water testing to protect gas drillers
A state rep describes a DEP scheme " to withhold vital information about potential water contamination."
Legislator alleges fraud in DEP water testing to protect gas drillers
Claiming water testing results are manipulated to push a pro-Marcellus Shale drilling agenda, a state representative called Thursday for federal authorities to investigate the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Jesse White (D-Allegheny/Beaver/Washington) bases his allegations in part on testimony by DEP Bureau of Laboratories Technical Director Tara Upadhyay, whose deposition in a Washington County contaminated drinking water lawsuit was released Wednesday and reported in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Within her 336-page deposition, Upadhyay said that when DEP Laboratory tests find certain things in water evaluations — such as cancer-causing heavy metals or compounds indicating the presence of hydraulic fracturing fluids — they're not always reported to property owners.
"This is beyond outrageous," White said in the press release. "Anyone who relied on the DEP for the truth about whether their water has been impacted by drilling activities has apparently been intentionally deprived of critical health and safety information by their own government."
White is calling on the U.S. Attorney's office, the Environmental Protection Agency and state Attorney General Linda Kelly, among others, to initiate an investigation. Allegedly, he said, DEP employees developed and utilized a computer-code system which censors results for two-thirds of metals they test for.
"We are talking about people's health, safety and welfare," White said in t statement. "The sworn testimony from inside the DEP about a scheme to withhold vital information about potential water contamination is truly alarming. An investigation is necessary to answer these serious allegations."
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