PA Medical Society Admits Act 13 Won’t “Gag” Doctors

Yet another straw man argument from anti-drillers has been knocked down in Pennsylvania. Anti-drillers were trying to fabricate a tale that under Pennsylvania’s new drilling law, Act 13, doctors and health care workers would be “gagged” and prevented from talking about the chemicals used in fracking with their patients should those patients somehow be exposed to said chemicals. It’s been a running headline for over a month.

On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Medical Society said the matter had been cleared up:

The state’s top health official has assured doctors that Pennsylvania’s new Marcellus Shale gas drilling law will allow them to talk to their patients about proprietary chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process — and share the information with public health agencies and regulatory bodies as they see fit.

The Pennsylvania Medical Society started questioning the new law almost two months ago, and on Wednesday issued a statement saying that Health Secretary Dr. Eli Avila had clarified the issue in a letter.*

*Binghamton (NY) Press & Sun-Bulletin/AP (Apr 19, 2012) – Pa. health official clarifies new gas drilling law