Hundreds Expected at Albany Rally to Protect New York's Water from Fracking

Groups will bring "New York Water Rangers" to State Capital

ALBANY, NY (04/06/2011)(readMedia)-- Several hundred New Yorkers, more than 300 at last count, and more than 40 organizations from across the state are expected to rally on the Capitol lawn and call on state leaders to safeguard public health and the environment from dirty gas drilling called hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." The groups will also launch the "New York Water Rangers" campaign.

WHO:

Confirmed speakers include Josh Fox, director of the Academy Award-nominated documentary GASLAND; Assembly member Barbara Lifton; and Sandra Steingraber, biologist, author of Living Downstream, and cancer survivor.

Participating groups include Adirondack Mountain Club, Advocates for Cherry Valley, Back to Democracy, Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition, Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy, Catskill Mountainkeeper, Citizen Action of New York, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Committee to Preserve the Finger Lakes, Concerned Citizens of Tioga County, Damascus Citizens, Delaware Action Group, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Dryden Resource Awareness Coalition, EARTHWORKS Oil & Gas Accountability Project, Environmental Advocates of New York, Environment New York, Food & Water Watch, Frack Action, Friends of Vestal, Gas Drilling Awareness for Cortland County, Gray Panthers, NYC Network, Highland Concerned Citizens, Keuka Citizens Against Hydrofracking, Landowners Against Natural-gas Drilling, Lumberland Concerned Citizens, NYH20, Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation, New York Residents Against Drilling, New Yorkers for Sustainable Energy Solutions, NOFA-New York, Otsego County Conservation Association, Otisco Lake Preservation Association, People for a Healthy Environment, Riverkeeper, Shaleshock Action Alliance, ShaleshockCNY, Schoharie Valley Watch, Sierra Club – Atlantic Chapter, Sullivan Area Citizens for Responsible Energy Development (SACRED), Sustainable Otsego, Sustainable Tioga, Three Parks Independent Democrats, Tusten Concerned Citizens, and United for Action. (list in formation)

WHAT:

New Yorkers from across the state will rally in Albany and call on state leaders to protect our water from fracking.

The gas industry is eager to drill in New York State. Drilling companies propose to use dirty drilling called hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” to extract natural gas. Tragedies due to un- and poorly regulated fracking—including flammable tap water in Colorado, methane explosions in West Virginia, and poisoned water in Pennsylvania—show what could happen to New York if state leaders put short-term gas profits ahead of the long-term health of our water and our communities.
WHEN: Monday April 11, 2011 at 10:30AM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
WHERE: West Capitol Park
west side of the NYS Capitol
Albany, New York 12204
NOTES:

RAIN LOCATION:

South End of the Empire State Plaza Concourse, Albany, NY

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Erica Ringewald, Environmental Advocates of New York (518) 210-9903 or eringewald@eany.org

Tina Posterli, Riverkeeper (914) 478-4501 x239 or tposterli@riverkeeper.org

Nadia Steinzor, EARTHWORKS (315) 677-4111 or nsteinzor@earthworksaction.org

Sarah Eckel, Citizens Campaign for the Environment (202) 486-9007 or seckel@citizenscampaign.org

Wes Gillingham, Catskill Mountainkeeper (845) 901-1029 or wes@catskillmountainkeeper.org