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

ALBANY, NY (04/08/2011)(readMedia)-- Several hundred New Yorkers, more than 500 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 are also launching the "New York Water Rangers" campaign.

WHO:

Confirmed speakers include Josh Fox, director of the Academy Award-nominated documentary GASLAND; ecologist, author, and cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D.; artist Marc Black; State Senators Tony Avella and Liz Krueger; and Assembly members Steve Englebright, Brian Kavanagh, and Barbara Lifton.

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, Croton Watershed Clean Water Coalition, Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, 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, NOFA-NY, NYH20, Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation, New York Residents Against Drilling, New Yorkers for Sustainable Energy Solutions, Otisco Lake Preservation Association, Otsego County Conservation Association, People for a Healthy Environment, Riverkeeper, Schoharie Valley Watch, Shaleshock Action Alliance, ShaleshockCNY, 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.

WHERE & WHEN:

Monday, April 11, 2011 at 10:30 a.m.

West Capitol Park, Albany, NY

Rain location:

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

WHY:

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.

NOTES: For more information:

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

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

Tina Posterli, Riverkeeper (516) 526-9371 or tposterli@riverkeeper.org

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

Larysa Dyrszka, MD, Sullivan Area Citizens for Responsible Energy Development & Damascus Citizens for Sustainability (201) 615-9889 or Lar917dy@gmail.com

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

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