The groups delivered 180 water powered alarm clocks to Governor Cuomo’s office door, as part of their request for more time for the public to comment on proposed rules to allow hydrofracking in New York on some private lands.
Katherine Nadaeu, with Environmental Advocates, says more time is needed to determine potential health effects of the gas drilling process, which uses chemically laced water to bore into underground
shale deposits in order to extract the gas.
“The governor can change this at any point,” said Nadaeu, who implored the governor and his aides to “come to their senses”.
“This isn’t a done deal,” Nadaeu said. “There are still many opportunities to influence the process.”
Sarah Eckel, of Citizens Campaign for the Environment , accuses Cuomo’s environmental agency of trying to “double dip” the public process, by simultaneously reviewing the environmental impact
statement and some proposed regulations that gas drillers would have to follow.
“Not only is the public being asked to review a 1500 page document by December 12th, they’re also being asked to look at draft regulations,” Eckel said.
Four public hearings will be held in November, three in the Marcellus shale region and one in New York City, but the environmental groups say they’d also like public hearings in the Utica Shale region,
further upstate, which may be the next region slated for drilling.
The box of clocks was accepted, politely, by Governor Cuomo’s press aides at the Capitol. The governor was in New York City.
Cuomo’s environmental commissioner has already extended the public comment period from 60 to 90 days and added four public hearings. Spokeswoman Emily DeSantis says some of the documents have been public longer, and that “nothing has been rushed”.
“Much of the document has actually been in the public realm now for an additional two months, so that will be giving them 150 days to review most of the document,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis says the environmental conservation department also believes the four public hearings are adequate, and represent a “geographically diverse area of the state”.
http://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/77353.html
And she says for those who can’t make it to the hearings, comments can be submitted on line and by mail.
“All comments will be considered no matter what form they come in,” said DeSantis.
DEC Commissioner Joe Martens will be available for an on line chat about fracking this Saturday, October 8th, at 9 AM on Governor Cuomo’s Citizen Connects web site.
http://governor.ny.gov/citizenconnects/
The environmental groups say they aren’t finished yet with their requests. They plan to introduce a letter to Governor Cuomo later Wednesday, signed by over 250 health care professionals, requesting
that a health impact study be completed by state officials before fracking could be permitted.
