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Forum Post: NYS Fracking decision looms; it’s getting intense

Posted 12 years ago on Jan. 4, 2012, 6:44 p.m. EST by GirlFriday (17435)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

Though, it is still hard to believe that New York State is still considering to Frack for natural gas. There are so many bad reasons why our state should not even consider this energy option, when we could have gone to renewable energy with the GLOW program (see NYPA: Great Lakes offshore wind is dead | Innovation Trail) that it leaves one stunned with incredulity.

The end is near: January 11th ends the public comment period on the:” Hydraulic Fracturing SGEIS - Comment period extended to January 11, 2012. Information available for hydraulic fracturing in Marcellus Shale area:” New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)

First off, this statement by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is misleading because this SGEIS isn’t just about the Marcellus Share area, which run well below Rochester, NY. It includes the Utica Shale, which is where we live. So, and I don’t know why this talk about drilling in NYS continues to do it, we are hiding the fact that the Utica Shale is part of the SGEIS. Check page 2 of the Executive Summary (PDF)(805 kb).

READ MORE HERE http://www.examiner.com/environmental-news-in-rochester/nys-fracking-decision-looms-it-s-getting-intense

32 Comments

32 Comments


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[-] 5 points by bensdad (8977) 12 years ago

What can WE do to stop NY fracking?
Can you give any specific names / mail to / email to ?

[-] 2 points by jimmycrackerson (940) from Blackfoot, ID 12 years ago

You can hydraulically fracture the building foundations these corporations operate out of and then let gravity do the rest. Or if that's too radical, maybe even pee in their Culligan jugs. Or you can write a letter to someone and pretend they're actually going to read it and do something about it. Or just let them continue to fuck up your water supplies.

[+] -4 points by GirlFriday (17435) 12 years ago

http://www.coalitiontoprotectnewyork.org/

and then click on affiliated groups for more.

[+] -6 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 12 years ago

You could try starting here:

Sierra Club

Share this alert with your friends: Share this page on FacebookShare this page on TwitterShare this page with other services Dear Dan,

Thank you for sending a message.

To ensure your message is heard, please take a moment to tell your friends, family, and colleagues about it. Just copy and paste the email message below into a new email! Dear Friends,

Send a message to President Obama to thank him for taking a stand against tar sands and to urge him to continue to say no to Keystone XL and dirty tar sands oil in the New Year. Despite the massive misinformation campaign launched recently by Big Oil and their cronies in Congress, President Obama’s State Department has said clearly that 60 days is not enough time to conduct the reviews necessary to safeguard human health and the environment against the dangers posed by this project. We want to thank him for continuing to stand up to Big Oil's dangerous agenda.

With your help, we can finally put an end to Keystone XL in 2012.

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[-] 2 points by ThunderclapNewman (1083) from Nanty Glo, PA 12 years ago

You're probably already aware of the fact that on Dec. 31 Youngstown, Ohio experienced it's second earthquake related to frack drilling. The polluted frack water is put back into the ground there and has caused a 4.0 magnatude earthquake. If memory serves, that's at least the second quake there.

[+] -6 points by GirlFriday (17435) 12 years ago

Yes. I was on the road and caught a piece on NPR on the problems there and snippets of conversations with business owners. Some of them did have damage done.

[-] 2 points by ThunderclapNewman (1083) from Nanty Glo, PA 12 years ago

I live in PA and our lovely Governor Corbett has seen fit to allow legislation to be passed that not only favors the frack drilling business, but the law supercedes any local ordinances regarding frack drilling. If a municipality had regulations on their books that might have required frack drillers to space wells at a certain distance apart, require drillers to pay directly for damage to municipal roads, keep wells a certain distance from schools, etc. those requirements get over-ridden by the state's much lower bar. Frack gas well owners are only required to spend up to $125,000 capping a no longer producing well. Any cost over that $125,000 is to be borne by the taxpayers of PA! To say that the environment and the people of PA are getting hosed would be a gross understatement.

Several years ago, prior to the onset of any Marcellus Shale Drilling anywhere, I attended a landowners' informational meeting that was conducted by a firm hired by Chesapeake Energy. After a narrated powerpoint presentation, a question and answer session was conducted during which I asked "What problems have landowners experienced where this type of drilling has occured?"

The answer from the gentleman was "Other than some noise and a couple of complaints about the lights at the rig site, I really can't think of any."

He completely "ignored" the problems Wyoming landowners have with methane leeching into their well water and making those people sick. I didn't learn of those water problems until about a year after that meeting. How awful!

I recently had a conversation with a friend who is a Conservative Republican (yes, this is a reality in my life! :-) ) who talked with me about how regulations get in the way of business. I've lived a good while now and grew up in the era of big steel. I related to my much younger friend that I still can vividly recall being able to see the air, with it's orange-yellow haze and taste the sulfur that the air contained.

An organization called GASP (Group Against Smog and Pollution) teamed up with the American Lung Association to make air pollution in this part of the country a major topic for discussion. This was prior to the EPA and PA Dept. of Environmental Protection. Regulations caused steel companies to begin the process of cleaning up the air and stopping the polution of our then-dead rivers.

The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland had actually caught fire in 1952, combustion on the water enabled by volitile pollutants floating on the river's surface.

He was shocked by this information. I told him that regulations had caused improvement. The Pollution control business sprang forth. I advised him to not be so naive as to think that those conditions I'd experienced in my youth couldn't return today.

I don't think enough is known about frack drilling's effects and ramifications. Better safe than sorry though, right?

New Yorkers are right to fight against allowing this frack gas drilling to occur in their state and need to continue doing so.

[+] -5 points by GirlFriday (17435) 12 years ago

What a wonderful post on a horrid topic. :D

Yes, Wyoming is where a friend from the forum that I spoke of earlier (and lower down from this post) is from. There has to be way to hold them accountable for the damage that they are causing. I think that they know exactly what kind of damage that it is causing.

I agree, unless they are willing to pay to keep this from occurring, then it should end.

[-] 1 points by ThunderclapNewman (1083) from Nanty Glo, PA 12 years ago

Thanks for your kind complement.

People knowingly and even willingly poisoning themselves, others and generations yet to come- it just boggles my mind. But then, many things do! :-)

[-] 1 points by Nevada1 (5843) 12 years ago

Just saw documentary "Gas Land". Everyone should see it. What the oil companies are doing is a crime against humanity, and a crime against every living thing. Choice between gas and water ----- you can't drink gas.

[+] -6 points by GirlFriday (17435) 12 years ago

Good post, Nevada!!!

[-] 1 points by raz (32) 12 years ago

Well I am not really into offshore wind farms in the Great Lakes simply because of the amount of toxins released from the sediment on the bottom of the lakes would be devastating to the marine life. Not a fan of fracking either though, it seems pretty obvious that it is harmful to the environment and theres the whole earthquake thing.

[-] 1 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

You'll feel the earth move under your feet, because it's expensive not to.

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre8021wd-us-fracking-ohio/

[+] -6 points by GirlFriday (17435) 12 years ago

And oddly enough, Oklahoma has steadfastly denied that there is a connection between them.

[-] 1 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

Oklahoma. owned and operated by your friends, the oil lobbyists.

Truth doesn't matter, when you can sell the lie, for a profit.

[+] -5 points by GirlFriday (17435) 12 years ago

I have family that lives in Oklahoma and when I was much younger I lived there as well. I do not remember one earth quake. Not so much as a tremble. I have contacted everyone that I am still in contact with and no one recalls an earthquake. Yet, they keep saying that this is perfectly normal and has happened forever.

I find it unbelievable that with this occurring they will still deny this.

[-] 2 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

Are you saying, those people can't remember one from their youth, yet it's them who claims it's normal?

How bad/often are the quakes in Oklahoma?

You might be able to look for actual records at the USGS.

[+] -5 points by GirlFriday (17435) 12 years ago

The family/friends do not state that it is normal but that is what is being presented through the media. History is found here: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/oklahoma/history.php

And their statement on the increase of earthquakes. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/increase_in_earthquakes.php

A few years ago I was on a forum and one of the members and I started a thread on the increase of earthquakes. I found one article that was put out by a company overseas that acknowledged that the drilling in the ocean was responsible for an earthquake but stated that they knew this because they had been using the science in Russia and not that of the States.

I remember that we were looking at information from Haiti as well as from Japan. Specifically Japan because of the buildings that could withstand the earthquakes. He lived in a region that was known to be active but it had gotten progressively more so.

At the time we relied only on USGS material, even though, they had acknowledged at that point that they were underfunded and they would know much more if they received adequate funding. However, the name of the game at the time was.........this is all normal. Which of course we both said, ok if the USGS says it is true then it must be so. 'Cept the USGS is really tight with mining and oil companies. :/

[-] 1 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

It would take some doing, but a thorough search of old newspapers, should at least show anecdotal reports of quakes strong enough to be felt.

USGS, only presents quakes that did recordable damage.

We have gotten better at sensing the ones we can't feel.

Arkansas was a good indicator of what fraking can do.

[+] -6 points by GirlFriday (17435) 12 years ago

Shooz...............that is an AWESOME idea.

I like to go through the old newspapers that are on microfiche. I don't live there anymore but I bet I could find some kind of information out.

[-] 1 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

The time between the biggest quakes, is large enough to help narrow it down.

Little is know about fissures and faults in the midwest.

Much study and research is currently being done in and around the New Madrid fault, so that might be a place to look too.

[+] -6 points by GirlFriday (17435) 12 years ago

Now that I have thought about it a little more. I bet that I could contact, in any given state and/or county, the historical societies and/or visit and read through letters or diaries and would find information. That would fill in the gaps that may be missing from newspapers during a specific time period. I could probably gather information from genealogy societies.

I need to mull this over for a bit more.

[-] -1 points by capella (199) 12 years ago

That's because there isn't any.

[-] 0 points by hchc (3297) from Tampa, FL 11 years ago

Check this piece of shit legislation:

http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/912613/obama_administration_caves_to_fracking_companies_on_major_regulation/

If people aren't ready to start rallying around other candidates now, I dont think they ever will be.

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[+] -4 points by PileOfSmegAKAZenDog (-30) 12 years ago

Outright lies.

[-] 2 points by bensdad (8977) 12 years ago

If..you..think..fracking..is..safe
.............................................................................................go frack..yourself

[+] -5 points by ZenDogTroll (13032) from South Burlington, VT 12 years ago

It's a bad business. I wish you guys all the luck.

I'll try to bring it up at my GA - but I suspect that not much will happen unless:

  • something breaks in areas where fracking has already done damage,

  • or we get money out of politics.

[+] -5 points by GirlFriday (17435) 12 years ago

Yep.

[+] -8 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 12 years ago

Take action. See samples of how below.

183,361 signatures so far for Bernie Sanders petition as of 10:15am central time 01/15/2012

http://sanders.enews.senate.gov/mail/util.cfm?mailaction=clickthru&gpiv=2100081904.557411.411&gen=1&mailing_linkid=34578

The petition to save abandoned houses has 15 signatures. We picked one up at around 9:50pm 01/13/2012. Were just rolling right along.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Savingpeople-savinghomes-payingdowntheNationaldeficit/

Here is a place where you can directly address change. Take part, it does not hurt and may very well heal/help. Forward the cause of reform and rebirth.

http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/Ag8nw/zL2Q/B18Bb

Sierra Club has some good things to take part in as well. Set-up and ready for you to take part in. http://sierraclub.org/

[+] -8 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 12 years ago

Here is a place where you can directly address change. Take part, it does not hurt and may very well heal/help. Forward the cause of reform and rebirth.

http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/Ag8nw/zL2Q/B18Bb