Last shot at enacting gas drilling moratorium in NY - action needed now
Posted June 24, 2010 in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment
All eyes are on the New York Legislature to see if it will take action to further delay industrial gas drilling in the state to allow for further examination of the risks associated with the controversial technologies proposed to be used – most significantly, hydraulic fracturing or “fracking.”
Two bills that would do just that are currently wending their way through the legislative process, while mere days remain in the current legislative session.
The first, Assembly Bill 10490 and Senate Bill 7592 (called “Englebright-Addabbo” after its principal sponsors in each house), would impose a moratorium on any new permitting for gas production using hydraulic fracturing until at least 120 days after the federal Environmental Protection Agency completes its recently commenced study into fracking’s risks. Enormous credit is due to the grassroots community in New York State, which, through hard and delicate work, overcame differences in strategy and overall objectives to come together in overwhelming support for the measure. There is no question that it was the energy, dedication and tirelessness of the grassroots that took this bill from one that conventional wisdom held was DOA to one with undeniable real legs. The Englebright-Addabbo bill has passed the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee and is pending in the Rules Committee. On the Senate side, the bill is pending in the Environmental Conservation Committee.
The second, Assembly Bill 11443-B and Senate Bill 8129-B (“Sweeney-Thompson”), would suspend any new permitting for drilling using hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus or Utica shales to afford the state the opportunity to examine the environmental and health impacts of fracking. This bill – which, though somewhat less strong than Englebright-Addabbo would still impose a much-needed pause on new fracking in the state to allow for adequate environmental review – has passed the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee and is pending in the Codes Committee. It is pending in the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee.
Urgent action is needed now to press New York’s legislators to take the bold step – one never taken in any other state in the country – of saying we are going to ensure that the hard questions about industrial gas extraction are asked and answered before we allow any new drills to break ground. The potential costs of failing to do so are simply too high. As has been amply documented in prior blog posts of mine and my colleague, Amy Mall, in other states ranging from Wyoming, to Colorado, to Texas, to Arkansas, to Ohio, to West Virginia and right next door in Pennsylvania, the result of a rush to new and expanded drilling has been contaminated water drinking, exploding wells, health impacts, dead livestock, landscape devastation and air pollution.
Furthermore, New York will have a new Governor, and possibly new Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner, in January. Even under the most ambitious schedule advanced by DEC, permitting would not begin until the very end of this year or early next year – in other words, very likely in the next administration. Whomever leads the next administration should be afforded the chance to fully analyze whether the risks of new drilling have been properly determined and planned for, rather than inheriting the policy decisions of a lame-duck administration.
Please, call your state senators and assembly persons today and tell them not to go home until they have enacted a moratorium to delay new fracking in New York until the state has had adequate time to properly and thoroughly examine the risks, and to understand whether and if so how to best manage them.
Regulators across the United States are looking to see what New York does, and whether it will fulfill its promise to serve as a better model: one that rejects the ill-fated path followed elsewhere of drilling first, asking questions later – too late for many.
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Comments
Robert Cahalan — Jun 24 2010 09:50 AM
You are totally off base here !!!!!!!! Gas drilling and fracing have been done for 60 years and as the NYDEC has said numerous times - "THERE ARE NO VERIFIED CASES OF FRACING CONTAMINATING GROUNDWATER IN THE 60 YEAR HISTORY OF FRACING".
STOP SPREADING LIES TO ADVANCE YOUR ENVIRO-NAZI AGENDA.
DRILLING AND FRACING ARE SAFE AND NATURAL GAS IS A CLEAN FUEL!!!!!
clifton Tamsett — Jun 24 2010 11:23 AM
Clearly you favor global warming
Austin cushing — Jun 24 2010 02:19 PM
Anyone who believes fracking is safe should drink the water from one of those flaming taps in PA or Wyoming. The fracking chemicals are pretty much all carcinogenic and they evaporate them in earthen pits or dump them illegally. Ask the people of those states if we should allow the drilling. This type of drilling need to be stopped everywhere immediately!! Anyone claiming otherwise is just aiding in the destruction of our HOMELAND.
Erica Ladd — Jun 24 2010 03:05 PM
I tend not to believe anything that government agencies tell us. And, you, Mr. Cahalan, shouldn't either. We're not children, we don't have to believe everything we're told. Use your head. Do the research. Check out some of these towns with polluted water and health issues. Go see for yourself, firsthand. I have. You'll change your mind.
Robert Cahalan — Jun 24 2010 03:09 PM
Bot the EPA and the NYS DEC have concluded after exhaustive study, that hydraulic frac'ing has *NEVER* been shown to contaminate drinking water wells, *NEVER* ! The folks in the EPA and in the DEC are dedicated environmentalists, who are also trained engineers and scientists. They deal with facts, not the LIES that you enviro-nazis are propogating.
Just because methane is coming out of a drinking water well does not mean frac'ing is responsible. Many of these wells have naturally occurring methane being created from normal biological processes that taking place in the water well.
Stop repeating these lies !!!!!!!!!!
Burr Hubbell — Jun 24 2010 04:56 PM
Mr. Cahalan's argument sound suspiciously like those of the tobacco industry which for years claimed there was no "proof" that tobacco was linked to cancer. The false science of Mr. Cahalan will lead to bad policy. The gas has been there for millions of years. It won't hurt to make sure we get this right.
Typical high-pressure sales technique is to convince you against all reason that you must act now. That isn't the case here. The gas in the ground will only increase in value over time.
Let's do this right, not quick. Ignore Mr. Cahalan and use your brains.
Burr Hubbell — Jun 24 2010 05:05 PM
Mr. Calahan promotes a dangerous course, and one not backed by science, reason, or common sense. Contaminated aquifers are nearly impossible to clean.
It might just be that the issue needs more study. If that is the case, then we should have a moratorium. Consider the anecdotal evidence here and see if you don't think this at least warrants further investigation.
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/613/index.html
and a moratorium while we wait.
Mary Sweeney — Jun 25 2010 12:31 AM
Commenter Robert Calahan says the folks in the EPA are dedicated environmentalists and scientists. In that case, he should be willing to listen to them, which would mean giving them time to complete their ongoing study of hydrofracturing. This is exactly what the Englebright/Addabbo bill proposes--enacting a moratorium while the EPA study is being conducted so that its results can be incorporated into gas drilling regulations in NY before drilling begins. Once environmental damage occurs, it may be difficult or impossible to correct, so waiting for the EPA study would be a prudent course of action.
The EPA study is expected to be completed in 2012. Insisting that the drilling should begin before the EPA study is completed doesn't make any sense unless the real motivation is to hurry up and make money from the drilling regardless of the damage done.
I hope that everyone who cares about public health and safety and/or the environment in NY will call their reps in the NY Assembly and Senate and ask them to support the Englebright/Addabbo moratorium--Assembly Bill 10490 and Senate Bill 7592.
andrewo — Jun 25 2010 01:11 PM
Happen to see Vanity Fair's piece on Dimock?
Check VF piece out here and my take on it here.