News Brief: Shapiro Urges Gov. to Condemn 'Nazi Award' Comment

State Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-153, at a press conference today at City Hall in Philadelphia called on Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett to condemn the recent statements of a senior member of his administration that compared opposition to natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania to Joseph Goebbels and Nazi propaganda.

March 10, the “Intelligencer Journal” and “Lancaster New Era” reported on comments made by Teddy Borawski, chief oil and gas geologist for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. When asked about the documentary “Gasland,” which portrays natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania as harmful to the environment, Borawski said, “Joseph Goebbels would have been proud. He would have given him the Nazi Award. That, in my opinion, was a beautiful piece of propaganda.”

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Today, Shapiro said, “While I recognize there may be differing opinions of that documentary, there is absolutely no place in society — let alone in the Corbett Administration — for such insensitive and ignorant rhetoric. There is plenty of room in the public discourse for people to disagree, but there is no room for a senior government official to compare someone to a Nazi just because they have different views. I urge the governor to immediately condemn Mr. Borawski's comments and take appropriate action against him.”

Last week, Shapiro joined as a lead co-sponsor of H.B. 150, a bill to put a three-year moratorium on leasing any additional state forestland for Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling.  Shapiro and 79 other state legislators have also sent a letter urging Corbett to honor the executive order signed by former Gov. Ed Rendell on Oct. 26, which imposed a moratorium on any further leasing of state forestland for oil and gas development in the state.

For more information, visit www.pahouse.com/Shapiro.

Information courtesy of Laura Hanes/Office of State Rep. Josh Shapiro