Crafton Borough, Allegheny County — Yesterday evening, the Crafton Council passed a new zoning code that includes protections for borough residents’ health and property values from fossil fuel development. Food & Water Watch provided assistance and guidance for increased protections for oil and gas operations and related infrastructure during the zoning overhaul. 

Crafton Borough joins an increasing list of Pennsylvania municipalities to pass such measures. Ordinances currently protect over 530,000 Allegheny County residents from the worst harms of the fracking industry. The updated zoning ordinance includes increased setbacks for fossil fuel infrastructure from homes and schools; confining fossil fuel infrastructure to industrial districts; and a ten year master plan.

In response, Food & Water Watch Western Pennsylvania Organizer Val McMonagle issued the following statement:

“Pennsylvanians across the political spectrum want clean air, healthy communities, and safe water — fracking threatens all of this. There is an incredible groundswell of demand for common-sense protections against harmful fossil fuel industry in Western PA and beyond.”

“In a state where the fracking industry runs rampant, community members and elected officials are shifting the narrative on fracking. By embracing these powerful protective ordinances, Crafton is finally able to prioritize people over fossil fuels.”

Pennsylvania is the second-largest gas-producing state and the number one exporter of energy in the nation. 2024 polling finds that 90% of Pennsylvania voters want stricter regulations on the fracking industry. State law prohibits municipalities from banning fracking locally, but municipalities have the right to enact local zoning ordinances without violating state law. Food & Water Watch research underlines fracking’s widely known negative health impacts, especially for communities in close proximity to well sites.