Unfazed by an overcast and drizzly afternoon, over twenty activists gathered outside the headquaters of Aqua America in Bryn Mawr, PA today at noon to confront the corporationabout their “moral deficit.” Aqua is in the process of evicting 32 low-income families from Riverdale Mobile Home Park in order to build a water withdrawal facility to sell 3 million gallons of Susquehanna River water per day, for the next four years and beyond, to the fracking industry. The small Riverdale community in Jersey Shore, PA was rocked by the news of the sudden evictions less than one month ago, after the Susquehanna River Basin Commission awarded Aqua its permit to withdraw water for fracking on March 15th.
Signs of homes urge Aqua America to stop evictions for fracking and demand "justice for the 32 families" as they line the bushes outside of Aqua America's headquaters in Bryn Mawr, PA.
“This is about human beings losing their homes,” said Nathan Sooy of Clean Water Action. “We need to protect families like the family of (Riverdale resident) Kevin June… Aqua is certainly making enough money to treat them right.”
“Aqua America made $143 million net last year; they’re a major corporation, and they don’t need to make more money by poisoning our water permanently throughall phases of the fracking process. They certainly don’t need to displace these families and insult their dignity by refusing to even offer them just compensation,” said Iris Marie Bloom of Protecting Our Waters.
Charlie Kratovil of Food & Water Watch said, ”The oil and gas industry promises people that fracking will provide jobs and a thriving local economy, but the truth is, these companies could care less about the communities they are destroying with their actions.”
Vigil Still to Come: This evening, 6 pm, 762 Lancaster Ave, Bryn Mawr PA 19010.
Replicated only for posterity. All credit goes to Iris Marie Bloom and ProtecthingOurWaters.wordpess.com. Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Original article found @http://protectingourwaters.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/activists-stand-in-solidarity-with-families-facing-eviction-by-arrogant-aqua/
Today's "No Evictions for Fracking" Press Conference and Vigil was organized by Protecting Our Waters and co-sponsored by Berks Gas Truth, Clean Water Action, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Food & Water Watch, Gas Truth of Central PA, Interfaith Sacred Earth Coalition, Keep Tapwater Safe, Lehigh Valley Gas Truth, New York Residents Against Drilling, PA Alliance for Clean Water and Air (PACWA), Stop Fracking PA, Groundswell PA, Marcellus Protest, Fracking Truth Alliance of Lawrence and Mercer Counties, Marcellus Outreach Butler, Gas Truth of Lehigh Valley, and Elk CARES.
Iris Marie Bloom of Protecting Our Waters and Carolyn Auwaerter stand up for the 32 families of Riverdale and for clean safe water.
Nathan Sooy of Clean Water Action gives a rousing speech, declaring, "we need to protect the families that are losing their homes" outside of Aqua America headquaters in Bryn Mawr, PA.
Marge Van Cleef, Loretta Gary of Protecting Of Waters (POW), Carolyn Auwaerter, Nathan Sooy of Clean Water Action and Charlie Kratovil of Food and Water Watch gather at Aqua America headquarters to demand justice for the affected families.
