Fracking became a hot button issue at the Sept. 30 presidential debate, prompting three Southwest Pennsylvania counties to address the two nominees on the issue’s impact on the region.

All three Butler County commissioners, as well as those of Beaver and Washington counties, sent a letter Oct. 6 to both President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden asking them to consider the increased tax revenues, “good-paying jobs” and lowered gas bills when grappling with the issue.

Natural gas and oil have “brought more family-sustaining local jobs and tax revenue to communities across the commonwealth,” the letter states. “Trade unions facing the prospect of their halls being emptied by demand for skilled labor have built modern training centers to supply a new generation of workers.”

The shale running underneath the ground in this region of the state, the letter read, has brought back the “fabric” of Western Pennsylvania. The commissioners urged the candidates to consider energy independence — such as that brought by natural gas — as a benefit, even in the context of climate change, where natural gas produces roughly half the carbon dioxide as coal, another source of electricity.

“During this critical moment for our nation, we ask that you don’t lose sight of the broad, bipartisan support we have here for domestic energy production, the life-changing benefits it’s brought to our communities and the bright future we’ve charted through policies aimed at attracting more investment,” the letter says.