'Meet the Fockers' Star Blythe Danner Joins NY Water Rangers to Protect State's Water from Fracking

ALBANY, NY (05/24/2011)(readMedia)-- Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress and Meet the Fockers star Blythe Danner has joined forces with the New York Water Rangers to call on elected officials to safeguard the state's water resources, public health, and the environment from dirty gas drilling by means of hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." The Water Rangers include New Yorkers from every corner of the state and all walks of life who have pledged to do whatever it takes to protect our water and communities from the dangers of fracking. Ms. Danner is featured in a full-page back cover advertisement in today's Legislative Gazette, the state capital's must-read weekly paper.

"I've met the Fockers, but I'm not ready to meet the 'Frackers.' That's why I joined the New York Water Rangers. I'm fighting to protect the best water in the world-the water that comes right out of my tap," says Ms. Danner. "The health and safety of our water is at risk because of fracking. Now hundreds of New Yorkers like me are becoming citizen superheroes and asking state leaders to put the long-term health of our drinking water and communities ahead of short-term profits."

The New York Water Rangers are supported by a network of organizations that includes Catskill Mountainkeeper, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Earthjustice, EARTHWORKS Oil & Gas Accountability Project, Environmental Advocates of New York, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Riverkeeper. The groups are calling on Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature to not rush the Department of Environmental Conservation's environmental review and the agency's revised guidelines to determine how fracking proceeds in New York. The groups want to ensure the agency has the time and resources necessary to correct the fatal flaws that plagued the initial draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement, and to ensure that the full measure of risks to public health and the environment are thoroughly investigated.

"Everybody is a body of water. That's why New Yorkers across the state are joining the Water Rangers, doing everything they know how to protect our drinking water from documented fracking dangers," says Robert Moore, Executive Director, Environmental Advocates of New York. "A cape is nice, but you don't need super-human strength, x-ray vision, or the ability to communicate with animals to lend a hand. The New York Water Rangers know that spreading the word about fracking by educating friends, neighbors, and state leaders is all it takes to win this fight."

"New York's Water Rangers are everyday citizen heroes that want to protect New York," said Sarah Eckel, Legislative & Policy Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "Nationwide the rush to drill has negatively impacted communities by poisoning their water, polluting their streams, and devaluing their homes. New Yorkers are standing up to say they want clean water, not dirty drilling."

Advertising to support the New York Water Rangers campaign includes a digital billboard above the Times Union Center, radio spots, and online and print advertisements. The ads invite viewers and readers to join the Water Rangers and step up to protect New York's most valuable resource, our water, from fracking. Ads are available at www.CleanWaterNotDirtyDrilling.org

Paid advertising is scheduled to run through the end of the Legislative Session. Coalition partners say they are prepared to continue the campaign for a longer period of time if the session does not end as scheduled in June.

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Clean Water NOT Dirty Drilling is a network of organizations working to protect the rights and health of landowners and communities and our most precious of environmental resources-clean drinking water-from the dangers of irresponsible, poorly regulated, and under-inspected gas drilling. The network includes Catskill Mountainkeeper, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Earthjustice, EARTHWORKS, Environmental Advocates of New York, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Riverkeeper. Visit www.CleanWaterNotDirtyDrilling.org to learn more.

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

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

Kate Slusark, NRDC (212) 727-4592 or kslusark@nrdc.org