I am worried about the fact that the natural gas industry wants to transport used fracking water on barges on our country’s rivers and lakes.

Do they know how many problems that could cause? What happens when one of those barges loaded with toxic, carcinogenic chemicals breaks loose — like they frequently do in Pittsburgh — and crashes into a bridge pier or dock? All of those chemicals are going to leak into our waterways and affect hundreds of miles of water and coastline, likely eventually working its way to the Gulf of Mexico.

It would result in fish kills and die-offs of aquatic plants and animals, and possibly render drinking water unsafe for an extended period of time.

Who’s going to clean up the mess? The gas companies? The federal Environmental Protection Agency?

How about, instead of worrying about potential problems, we just tell them “no”?

What’s being proposed is a ridiculous idea, and I hope the proper authorities at the Coast Guard realize this and deny the gas industry this outlandish request.

It’s time to stop catering to these companies that already pollute our air when they flare wells, and our water with their toxic fracking, and destroy our landscape with their well pads.

Gas companies never should be allowed to transport fracking wastewater on our waterways.