NY Water Rangers to Deliver Thousands of Comments & Letters Documenting Fracking Concerns to Gov Cuomo & DEC

ALBANY, NY (01/09/2012)(readMedia)-- The New York Water Rangers and friends will deliver thousands of previously un-submitted comments on New York State's proposals to guide industrial gas drilling called "fracking" tomorrow, as well as hundreds of letters and a petition with thousands of signatures to Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) citing concerns about such drilling.

The public comment period on the revised draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS), draft regulations, and draft stormwater permit ends on Wednesday, January 11, 2012. According to a review by Gannett News Service, the agency had received 18,000 comments on the state's fracking proposals by December 16th, and by a margin of 10 to one, those comments note serious concerns with fracking.

WHO:

Representatives from Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Environmental Advocates of New York, and Sierra Club-Atlantic Chapter will deliver thousands of letters and a petition to Governor Cuomo before delivering comments submitted by thousands of New Yorkers on the state’s fracking proposals to the DEC.

WHAT:

The public comment period on the state’s 1,500-plus page environmental review of gas drilling by means of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, draft regulations, and draft stormwater permit ends on January 11, 2012.

From start to finish, gas development that relies on fracking is an industrial process that threatens our water. State after state, from Wyoming to Pennsylvania, has documented its dangers. New York can't afford to put short-term gas profits ahead of the long-term health of our water and our communities.

WHEN: Tuesday January 10, 2012 at 12:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
WHERE: Executive Chamber
NYS Capitol
Albany, New York 12224
NOTES:

The New York Water Rangers campaign is supported by a network of organizations working to protect the rights and health of New Yorkers and one of our most precious environmental resources-water-from the dangers of irresponsible, poorly regulated, and under-inspected natural gas exploration and development. The campaign is supported by Catskill Mountainkeeper, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Earthjustice, EARTHWORKS Oil & Gas Accountability Project, Environment New York, Fleased, Natural Resources Defense Council, Otsego 2000, and Riverkeeper. For more information visit www.CleanWaterNotDirtyDrilling.org.