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WHEREAS, on November 16, 2010, Pittsburgh City Council unanimously passed an ordinance to ban Marcellus Shale drilling within city limits, making Pittsburgh the first municipality in the state of Pennsylvania to halt Marcellus Shale drilling; and,
WHEREAS, on February 8, 2011, New York's Buffalo City Council followed suit, passing a bill banning hydraulic fracturing in a 9-0 vote, leading the movement in New York against Marcellus Shale; and,
WHEREAS, two cities, Buffalo and Pittsburgh, are leading the nationwide fight against hydrofracking, potentially spurring other communities to do the same; and,
WHEREAS, reports and testimony have shown that the process of extracting the Marcellus Shale, namely hydraulic fracturing or "fracking," has resulted in the contamination of water wells and drinking water; and,
WHEREAS, municipal governments have a duty to protect the rights of community residents against corporate activities that clearly jeopardize those rights; and,
WHEREAS, state-chartered corporations do not have a right to engage in activities that threaten the inalienable rights of members of the community.
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh commends and supports the Council of the City of Buffalo on the passage of their ban on Marcellus Shale drilling. We stand united with Buffalo City Council in the effort to protect the health, the welfare and safety of the people who we represent.