As we come to the end of the Earthworks 25th year, I’d like to give Gwen Lachelt, the founder of the Oil & Gas Accountabilty Project, a final word.
Earthworks became the organization it is today after Mineral Policy Center – founded by Phil Hocker – merged with OGAP.
Gwen, through OGAP, was one of the first in the nation to sound the alarm about fracking, and the Halliburton Loophole in the Safe Drinking Water Act. Together with EPA whistleblower Wes Wilson, Gwen spoke out when then-Vice President Dick Cheney forced the EPA to declare, against the recommendation of its own scientists, that hydraulic fracturing posed no significant risks to water.
Gwen started OGAP to serve communities and protect people from the destructive impacts of oil and gas development, and left just this last year to continue her commitment to public service as elected county commissioner of La Plata County in southwest Colorado.
Watch the video above to meet Gwen and understand the passion behind Earthworks’ mission.