Ten Democratic Presidential Candidates Would Ban Fracking

A presidential candidate survey released by The Washington Post indicates that ten Democratic candidates - Booker, Buttigieg, de Blasio, Gabbard, Inslee, Messam, Sanders, Swalwell, Warren and Williamson - support a ban on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in the U.S. Meanwhile, a poll last year from the Pew Research Center indicates that a majority of Americans - 58% - oppose fracking. The same poll indicated that 65% of "moderate Democrats" and 83% of "liberal Democrats" oppose fracking. In response to the Post's candidate survey, Food & Water Action Climate & Energy Program Director Mitch Jones issued the following statement:

"Given that most Americans oppose fracking, for good reason, it's not surprising that more and more presidential candidates are coming to the prudent conclusion that fracking simply must be banned. Front-line communities across the country are dealing every day with the human health and environmental risks that fracking inherently brings. Fracking poisons air and water, and makes people sick. Americans know it, and finally Democratic candidates are beginning to get the picture.

"These ten presidential candidates that claim to oppose fracking now need to talk in specific detail about exactly what they would do to halt fracking as soon as they take office. And the candidates that haven't yet publicly opposed fracking need to pull their heads out of the sand, and get on board with the will of most Americans."