Thursday, June 30, 2011
Environmental Alert
The New York Times reported at 1:58 p.m. this afternoon that Governor Andrew Cuomo intends to lift the ban on hydro-fracking in New York State. The ban would remain in place for New York City's watershed and the watershed for Syracuse, but the process would be allowed in other parts of the state.
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Let's learn a lesson from the activists working on getting the Marriage Equality Act passed. If you are against having the ban on hydro-fracking in NYS lifted, call the Governor's office: 518-474-8390. Remember to leave your zip code. Don't bother to leave a message on his FaceBook or similar networking page; any criticisms are erased by his tech people in about 30 seconds.
ReplyDeleteNot only is the fracking itself an environmental hazard, but all the process, hearings, comment periods, and subsequent litigation are a huge burder on the citizens of New York state. Cuomo is setting us all up for decades of misery if he proceeds with this ill-conceived idea.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a sensible response on the part of the Governor. I am pleased.
ReplyDeleteIt is insane not to produce our own energy, which we have in abundance. Does anyone think it makes more sense to send our money to the sheiks or to Hugo Chavez?
BTW, I have read that Pennsylvania may have produced as many as 100,000 new jobs in the last couple of years in the gas industry and theynstill seem to be able to drink their water over there.
-- Jock Spivy
Fracking is a process by which tons of chemicals and water are pumped underground to break the rock underneath and release small pockets of gas. The gas then flows back up the channel and is collected. Unfortunately, the process uses tons of water, produces tons of toxic waste and allows the chemicals used for fracking (including carcinogens and heavy metals such as arsenic and lead) to get deep into the ground, where they can seep into the water supply. In NY, the shale formation, where companies want to frack, is next to one of the 5 reservoirs that supply NYC with its water. Right now, our water supply from these is so clean that it is exempted from EPA standards for treatment, saving the entire state tons of money. Why would we ever want to expose our public water supply to toxic chemicals?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if our state government bothered to fully explore the nightmare scenario in states where horizontal fracking is legal? Polluted wells and streams, toxified drinking water, and endless misery for the citizens who live nearby. The fact that the Governor intends to prohibit this activity in more densely populated areas is an implicit concession that it's dangerous. The comment above is spot on-- we can now look forward to endless haggling and legal challenges to this abusive industry. Thanks, Guv....
ReplyDeleteI wonder if anyone has tracked the money that the gas industry has poured into Cuomo's coffers? I'd bet my last nickel that the total is VERY substantial.
ReplyDeleteHave a feeling that Cuomo wants to ride the good feelings wave from his work on the Marriage Equality Act and use this to leverage to bolster his free-market, pro-business credentials for his Presidential bid. He needs the money from the gas industry to pay for this type of campaign. He's selling out the health and welfare of NYS citizens for his own personal ambitions.
ReplyDeleteJock, it certainly would be nice if we could supply more of our own energy. But fracking isn't a safe way to do so. There are people (e.g. in Pennsylvania near the New York border) who deeply regret buying into the gas industry's false promises, now that their wells have been poisoned and their properties grossly devalued.
ReplyDeleteWe also could in theory make a lot of energy and money by incinerating hazardous waste -- let's say in Kinderhook -- but some options are not smart to entertain. The downsides outweigh the tenuous upside claims
--Sam P.