Debate On Halting NY Fracking Ban Reaches Endgame

Date: 30-Nov-11
Country: USA
PlanetArk
Author: Edward McAllister

The final hearings on regulations that would end a ban on drilling for natural gas in New York state got under way on Tuesday in a packed auditorium at Sullivan County Community College.

In a last chance for communities to voice their views for and against a controversial drilling technique called fracking, about 300 people turned up, many of whom were left in the rain as the house spilled above capacity.

Advocates of fracking, which involves blasting chemical-laced water and sand into shale rock to release gas, told a rowdy, polarized audience that drilling would create jobs and boost New York's ailing economy.

Those against blamed it for contaminating water wells and threatening the safety of local communities.
Outside, signs read "Don't frack with our water" and "Jail the frackers".

Others disagreed. "We fight wars and import oil to get resources that we have at home," said Edward Allees, 88, from Jeffersonville, New York. "What is so special about New York that we can't drill here?"
New York sits atop the Marcellus Shale formation, the largest U.S. deposit of natural gas, which also stretches across parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.

Governor Andrew Cuomo hopes to put an end to the drilling moratorium by next year as the New York Department of Environmental Conservation finalizes new regulations for the state.

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Fracking: It could happen to you! The Cold Hard Truths about it...

Monday, October 3, 2011
Posted by Hil

Fracking…yep, it could happen to you! Our government is manufacturing an epidemic and it’s truly disturbing! If you didn’t know, New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo wants to allow fracking at the New York City Watershed and Delaware River Basin, the largest unfiltered water supply in the world that goes out to 15.6 million people in New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Can you imagine not being able to go into a NYC restaurant and order tap water? We’re famous for our bagels and pizza because the secret’s in the water. Now imagine if you couldn’t take a shower in your own home or wash your clothes because the water is toxic.

This is happening to people across America and in other countries around the world and it’s scary. It’s time for YOU and all of us to get involved and put an end to this dangerous new initiative! It might be coming to your town sooner than you realize. The government and the gas companies don’t care about the public; all they care about is money. And now more than ever, they can use the poor economy as an excuse to enable this practice.

My passion for this issue was spurred on by two things: watching Josh Fox’s “Gasland,” a shocking and horrifying documentary about fracking and a woman I admire very much, Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo getting behind the cause. Vanessa’s given me so much through Brenda over the past 20 years. She literally changed my life and I want to pay it forward and help her in any way I can. She has a powerful platform to speak out from as a celebrity and she uses it the right way, to spread awareness on important topics that are affecting people on both a national and global level. Let’s help someone that’s helped us. If Vanessa is important to you, I urge you to support her and support this issue. She deserves it!

Have you ever seen water from a tap or stream light on fire? Have you seen a stream bubbling over like boiling water? Have you witnessed wildlife dying? Have you seen animals’ hair falling out? I have. Josh Fox and other organizations are shining light on the dangerous practice of fracking.

What is fracking? (Also known as hydraulic fracturing or hydro-fracking). “It is a means of natural gas extraction employed in deep natural gas well drilling.” More simply put, it is the process of drilling down and creating tiny explosions to shatter, crack or fracture (hence the term “fracking”) hard shale rocks to release the gas inside. “Once a well is drilled, millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals are injected, under high pressure, into a well. The pressure fractures the shale (sedimentary rock) and opens cracks that enable natural gas to flow more freely out of the well.

Problems typically occur when poorly-made cement well casings leak natural gas along with fracking fluid into neighboring water wells. Generally 1-8 million gallons of water may be used to frack a well. A well may be fracked up to 18 times. For each frack, 80-300 tons of chemicals may be used.” That adds up to 1,440-5,400 tons of chemicals used over the lifespan of a well. Now I’m no fracking expert but that sounds like a LOT of chemicals – not cool anywhere but especially not around my drinking water or the water I’m gonna shower in or clean my clothes with or swim in. 

This technology boosts gas and oil production and generates $1.5 billion a year for the gas companies such as Halliburton, about one-fifth of its energy-related revenue. No surprise that one of fracking’s biggest proponents, Dick Cheney used to work for Halliburton before we were cursed with him as our Vice President for eight long and painful years.

Here are some cold hard truths about fracking you might not know...

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Letter to Gov. of NY signed by 59 scientists expressing concern about water quality of produced water (fracked) even after filtration

Source: PSE

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo

Governor of New York State

NYS State Capitol Building

Albany, NY 12224

Dear Governor Cuomo:

We the undersigned scientists write to you regarding the ability of municipal drinking water filtration systems to adequately remove contaminants of the sort found in return fluids from hydraulic fracturing, should they somehow enter the water system. The State has proposed that hydraulic fracturing not be allowed in the watersheds of the New York City and Syracuse water systems (where no filtration occurs), but be allowed in watersheds where drinking water is filtered before use. The presumption appears to be that municipal water filtration plants provide protection from potential contaminants.

The best available scientific information does not support this presumption. Most municipal water filtration systems are designed to remove potentially dangerous microorganisms from water, which they do efficiently. The typical filtration system would also remove some hazardous substances. However, there simply is not an adequate knowledge base to conclude that filtering would remove all, or even most, of the hazardous substances found in flow-back fluids from hydraulic fracturing.

Potential contaminants of concern known to be in some flow-back fluids include benzene and other volatile aromatic hydrocarbons, surfactants and organic biocides, barium and other toxic metals, and soluble radioactive compounds containing thorium, radium, and uranium. Municipal filtration systems were not designed with such hazards in mind, and the ability of the filtration systems to remove such hazardous substances has received little, if any, study. We believe, however, the best available science suggests that some of these substances would pass through the typical municipal filtration system.

We urge the State to reconsider its position that existing water filtration systems provide adequate protection against the risk of hydraulic fracturing, should materials from flow-back fluids migrate to lakes, reservoirs, or groundwaters used for municipal water supplies. Each signatory of this letter has significant professional experience with water treatment systems, with aquatic chemistry or biogeochemistry, and/or with the movement and fate of toxic or radioactive materials. We write as individuals and our professional affiliations are listed for your information. You should not infer any endorsement of our viewpoint byour affiliated institutions.

Sincerely,

Robert Howarth, Ph.D.

the David R. Atkinson Professor of Ecology

at Cornell University

Founding Editor, Biogeochemistry

Member of the Board of Directors, PSE

And 58 other scientists, listed alphabetically below