Environmental Advocates of New York Releases 'Fracking To-Do List' for State Leaders & Lawmakers

ALBANY, NY (02/28/2011)(readMedia)-- Environmental Advocates of New York today introduced a "fracking to-do list" for state leaders and lawmakers. Hydraulic fracturing, often called "fracking," is an environmentally dangerous technique used to extract natural gas from underground shale deposits. The group's concerns focus on all phases of the drilling process-the environmental impact of millions of gallons of water that would be withdrawn from area water bodies, use of toxic chemicals in fracking fluids and their potential to leach into drinking water, and the state's ability to treat and dispose of fracking wastewater, particularly with regard to naturally occurring radioactive materials.

"New Yorkers want clean water, not dirty drilling. Fracking has poisoned waterways from Wyoming to Pennsylvania and we can't allow that to happen here," said Katherine Nadeau, Water & Natural Resources Director, Environmental Advocates of New York. "Everyone has a role to play in protecting New York's environment from the documented dangers of fracking-Governor Cuomo, the State Legislature, and the Department of Environmental Conservation. This is our chance to set the gold standard when it comes to protecting our water."

At a briefing for leaders and lawmakers in the state capital, the environmental group released a comprehensive to-do list designed to safeguard the health and safety of New York's drinking water. The fracking to-do list includes:

• Pass legislation (A. 5318 / S. 3455) to protect water resources and establish a regulatory permitting program to oversee large water withdrawals statewide.
• Regulate fracking fluids (A. 2922) to direct the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to create regulations requiring the gas industry to disclose the chemical components in fracking fluids and prohibit the use of fluids that pose a risk to human health. This bill would also direct the agency to withhold permitting until such regulations are adopted.
• Close the hazardous waste loophole in current state law and require that all wastes produced by oil or gas facilities that meet the definition of hazardous be considered hazardous for the purpose of transport and treatment.
• Address New Yorkers' concerns about fracking in the next draft drilling plan. The revised draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (dSGEIS) should be released when it's ready, and not a minute before. Once released, the draft should be subject to an extended public comment period. And the DEC should take the time to incorporate public comments prior to being completed.
• Improve the dSGEIS so that it updates and revises the state's drilling regulations and include a cumulative impact analysis that addresses the worst-case scenario of up to 2,500 wells per year.

At the briefing, Susan Christopherson, the J. Thomas Clark Professor of City & Regional Planning at Cornell University, discussed the potential economic impacts of fracking for New York's communities. Professor Christopherson's research on fracking's fiscal implications shows that individual New Yorkers may stand to benefit from gas drilling, but that the costs to local government are significant. Depending on the pace and scale of drilling, local governments may not have the capacity to respond to these new demands. In addition, Christopherson's research has shown that the long-term economic development from shale gas drilling is uncertain and will depend on New York's ability to capture private expenditures. Currently, the state is ill-equipped to make the most of these expenditures.

New York is a battleground in the national debate about natural gas drilling and fracking, an environmentally dangerous technique for extracting gas from underground shale deposits. Drilling-related accidents across the country have contaminated drinking water, created air quality hazards and violations, and polluted streams.

Earlier this year, Governor Cuomo extended an executive order that placed a moratorium on fracking until June 1, 2011.

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Environmental Advocates of New York's mission is to protect our air, land, water and wildlife and the health of all New Yorkers. Based in Albany, we monitor state government, evaluate proposed laws, and champion policies and practices that will ensure the responsible stewardship of our shared environment. We work to support and strengthen the efforts of New York's environmental community and to make our state a national leader. For more information visit www.eany.org.