Corbett is still a Space Cadet, Frack Water Edition

Here's a thing I think would be bad, that my governor did not think would be bad:

The state Department of Environmental Protection has rescinded a Marcellus Shale wastewater treatment permit that would have allowed a New Jersey company to spread chemically contaminated salts on roadways, sidewalks and fields statewide. 

The DEP pulled the permit, issued in August to Integrated Water Technologies Inc., after admitting the required public notice about the permit did not accurately describe the permitted activity and the department hadn't fully considered the impact on the environment.
The DEP's decision to rescind the permit for the as-yet-to-be-built treatment plant in North Fayette was announced Saturday in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

Yep. Fracking wastewater used as brine solution on roads, which would run off into sewers and groundwater. It doesn't sound like a good idea, does it? But in PA, we've had a little bit of "been there, done that":

In 2005 the General Assembly passed and Governor Ed Rendell signed the ACRE law that authorizes the state Attorney General to overrule local ordinances affecting farming practices, including the spreading of sewage sludge.  Since the passage of the law more than a dozen municipalities with serious concerns about the health and safety of their residents have enacted local ordinances banning the use of sludge on farm fields in their communities. 

If you remember from an earlier post on this blog, “Quid pro quo”, gubernatorial candidate Attorney General Tom Corbett is a former lobbyist for Waste Management, a sludge hauler and contributor to Mr. Corbett’s campaign. 

Is it surprising, then, to learn that Mr. Corbett has filed lawsuits against these communities to prevent them from enforcing the ordinances they enacted to protect the health of their families and the safety of their environment? 

Remember, the ACRE law authorizes but does not mandate the Attorney General to fight these ordinances.  The decision to sue these communities is strictly Mr. Corbett’s; he is not compelled to do this.  In defending his decision to file these suits, Mr. Corbett’s office stated in a legal brief filed with the Court against East Brunswick Township on January 31, 2008, that “There is no inherent right to local self government.”

That would be the same Democratic governor Ed Rendell who says stuff on chat shows and is always ready to lend a hand to big business, like water polluters in Texas.  

What I'm saying is, my state produces people who do not care about clean water, okay? I do not know why. Which is ridiculous, as it has a direct impact on the quality of our beer and dinner rolls.