Grassroots Groups Tell Albany "Don't Play Politics With Our Water"; Connect Fracking to Gulf Spill

Coalition Warns that Gas Extraction Technology as Risky as Oil Drilling in the Gulf of Mexico

Avon, NY (& Statewide)—Warning that New York State needs to be much more skeptical about oil and gas industry technological claims in light of the ongoing Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, a coalition of concerned New Yorkers on Tuesday called for a statewide moratorium on a controversial natural gas extraction method called hydro-fracking.

Farmers, local business owners, students, scientists, doctors, realtors, elected officials, clergy and children spoke at press conferences held simultaneously at six state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) regional offices on Tuesday noon to raise awareness about the dangers of hydro-fracking. About 100 people attended the rally and press conference at the Region 8 DEC headquartes in Avon, NY representing Chemung, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario,
Orleans, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Yates counties. People from over a dozen organizations travelled to Avon from all across the region, from towns as widespread as Elmira, Hammondsport, Canandaigua, Watkins Glen, and Rochester to call for a state-wide moratorium on hyrofracking. The message of the demostration was clear in speakers voices and signs from the crowd «Not Another Gulf», «We Support a Moratorium», and «Water is not a Renewable Resoure».

The events spanned all areas of New York state that would be impacted by hydro-fracking, including all of Marcellus shale region of New York State, and New York City, which gets its drinking water from an aquifer in the the Catskills. In New York City, New Paltz, Avon, Schenectady, Syracuse, and Buffalo, citizens expressed support for a bill currently before the New York State Legislature. The Englebright-Addabbo bill (A.10490/S.7592) calls for a moratorium on all permits for hydro-fracking until the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completes an extensive study into hazards and accidents around the country that are linked to hydro-fracking.

“The oil and natural gas industry giants keep telling us that the technology they’d use to extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale deposits in New York State is safe and sound. That’s the same thing they said about off shore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Julia Walsh, Project Director of the Frack Action campaign. “We’re here today because the DEC is poised to start handing out permits at the end of the year for companies to begin this risky new procedure in rural counties located all over New York State. We’re asking for more time to study the effects of fracking on our drinking water, on public health, and the environment.”

Walsh noted that the New York City watershed could still be adversely affected by fracking. "The DEC has led us to believe that fracking will have no impact on New York City, when that is not the case. Once the drilling starts everything is up for grabs."

Pennsylvania residents also spoke about their experiences with hydraulic fracturing on their environment and health. "We were misled. They promised us jobs and money for the community, but instead we got poisoned water," said Craig Sautner of Dimock, PA, who now relies on bottled water for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Sautner urged New York lawmakers not to move forward without understanding the risks. "Step back and take a hard look at fracking from all angles­­, at what devastation could take place, because once it's done it's done."

In Syracuse Mary Jane Uttech, Deputy Public Health Director for the Cortland Country Health Department, spoke on the inadequacy of the Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement to assess the risk to public health. "My position and the position of the health deptartment that I represent is that the DSGEIS does not provide adequate protection for the air and water in New York, and that the DEC's plan for how they're going to regulate gas drilling is inadequate to protect our water," she said. Uttech called for further study of the issue. "There is really an appalling lack of studies on the the impact of gas drilling."

New Yorkers from all walks of life will raise their voices on Tuesday with a chorus calling out in support of the Englebright-Addabbo bill, which has been slowly winding its way through the Legislature and is nearing a critical vote in coming weeks.

To learn more about the growing ranks of New Yorkers galvanizing in opposition to this dangerous new threat from the oil and gas industry, please visit: www.frackaction.com

Event locations statewide:

AVON
6274 East Avon-Lima Road
Avon, NY

NEW YORK CITY
47-40 21st Street in Long Island City, Queens

NEW PALTZ
21 South Putt Corners Rd
New Paltz NY 12561

SYRACUSE
615 Erie Blvd., West
Syracuse, NY

SCHENECTADY
1130 North Westcott Road
Schenectady, NY

BUFFALO
270 Michigan Avenue
Buffalo, NY

June 15, 2010
contact: Ryan Acuff (585) 455-0961 racuff@gmail.com

Margaret Ball(607) 228-0111 mball2@u.rochester.edu

what: Grassroots events calling for a suspension of fracking permits in support of Englebright/Addabbo bill
when: Tuesday June 15, 12 noon
where: regional office of the Department of Environmental Conservation 6274 Avon-Lima Rd. Avon, NY , June 15, 2010 and at regional DEC offices in New York City, Schenectady, Syracuse, New Paltz, Avon, and Buffalo