Can the Shawnee National Forest survive regulated fracking?

After watching the state house overwhelmingly vote for a bill that will launch the fracking rush in Illinois, I spotted the cover of Illinois Times' latest issue. "A Guide to the Shawnee National Forest."



Go soon.

When I first heard someone claim that fracking would destroy the Shawnee, I scoffed. It can't be worse than coal mining, right? There are protections in national forests, and drilling has gone on in the region for years.

I didn't understand the massive scale of fracking proposed for downstate Illinois, and how much more damage fracking installations do than the small wells Illinois is used to seeing. Even fracking that complies with regulations supported by Pat Quinn, Lisa Madigan and several accommodating environmental groups can result in the destruction of the crown jewel of Illinois.



Fracking is allowed in national forests. Here's what that looks like in Allegheny National Forest, where drilling pads and roads are getting bigger and further fragmenting natural areas. Sites like this could be repeated hundreds or thousands of times all over the Shawnee, even if companies comply with state regulation.



Five rural southern Illinois counties asked for a moratorium on fracking, but the regulatory bill takes away their authority to ban the practice. Representative John Bradley said in debate that cities will be able to restrict fracking, but that defense is a cruel joke when discussing rural counties with large unincorporated areas.

The passage of the fracking bill left many worried and crying last night. Those tears were made bitter by hearing legislators avoid addressing weaknesses in the proposed regulations by repeatedly invoking the names of environmental allies supporting the bill.

But, there's more to be done. As Sandra Steingraber said to a member of the Attorney General's staff, if the fracking bill passes the movement will "use what's happening here in Illinois as a focal point in our work. We would plan to bring freedom rider buses here, civil disobedience is part of our strategies and tactics, because at the end of the day the regulations can't make fracking safe."

People are aware of Illinois' notoriously weak oversight of extraction industries. And the passage of the regulatory bill will make it more difficult to save the Shawnee. But, there's hope of getting more protection for national forests through federal action and grassroots efforts by local activists. That fight will continue and it can be won despite today's setback.

Sandra Steingraber, Jeff Biggers return to rally with Illinois fracktivists; meet with Quinn, Madigan staff

The passionate push to save Illinois from poorly regulated fracking continued at the state Capitol Wednesday.

Internationally recognized ecologist and Living Downstream author Sandra Steingraber made a return trip to her native central Illinois to support the push for a public, science-based examination of fracking.

After meeting with an aide to Governor Pat Quinn who worked on the inadequate fracking regulatory bill, Sandra Steingraber and author Jeff Biggers spoke to Illinois residents feverishly pushing for a moratorium on fracking during the final days of the legislative session.

Steingraber referenced several recent scientific studies, and others which will soon be published, about the deadly public health and environmental consequences of fracking. The studies tackle issues that haven't been discussed in public hearings since the legislature waited until the final weeks of their session to rush through a regulatory bill negotiated in private.



Steingraber noted that Natural Resources Defense Council has used the anecdote of a single well operating in Illinois as an argument for passing a pro-fracking regulatory bill. She called the news a distraction and responded, "from my perspective, that's like discovering a rapist in the community and deciding that we need a law mandating that all those planning to commit sexual assault must wear condoms."

After speeches from Steingraber, Jeff Biggers, southern Illinois resident Tabitha Tripp, and Springfield resident Melody Lamar, a group of those lobbying and sitting-in for a fracking moratorium marched to Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office for an animated discussion with members of her staff who negotiated the regulatory compromise. The group delivered letters from Pennsylvania residents about the devastating harm done to their state, despite claims that regulation would protect them.

Documentary filmmaker Ben Evans, who was previously in Springfield to speak at a screening of his film YERT, was on hand to film the events. I'll shortly post more videos, links and details about events yesterday and today.

Faced with outraged reactions from their members, environmental groups advocating for inadequate regulation claim they also continue supporting a moratorium. Yet, their signing off on the regulatory bill has allowed politicians and industry representatives to portray it as strong and environmentally safe. In fact, even environmental groups supporting it admit the proposed regulations will not protect Illinoisans.

Support by a few national groups for the regulatory bill has left the overwhelming majority of environmentalists in regions threatened by fracking feeling marginalized and undermined by some of their own leaders. Legislators should be aware that the support of environmental staff in the statehouse will not shield them from an angry backlash by citizens opposed to rushed fracking rules. Steingraber and others pledged that this is only the start of an escalating movement to protect Illinois.