Greetings,
Heads Up!!! This is an urgent call to action.
I write today to ask you to help: 1) block a possible Southern Tier Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing "Demonstration Project" and 2) require Governor Cuomo to fulfill the truly onerous requirements of Executive Order No. 41.
PLEASE SIGN THIS NEW COALITION LETTER: http://toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/cuomo/coalition_letter/2012/de...
Bad Compromise Deals Alert
I recently reported that Governor Cuomo has been unable to render a "final decision" to permit horizontal hydraulic fracturing despite his February 8th promise to do that "in a couple of months."
It is also now apparent that no "statewide ban," "moratorium," "home-rule" or any other anti-fracking bills are likely to be enacted this legislative session.
Pressure on Governor Cuomo continues to build regarding the fate of Marcellus Shale gas extraction in New York. That is why we must make absolutely sure that no wretchedly bad compromise deals are struck to provide political cover for the powers-that-be.
Some environmental groups are reportedly discussing potentially allowing limited shale gas fracking in Broome, Tioga and Chemung counties. Those are the main areas where shale gas extraction has been proposed in New York.
See one national environmental group's "demonstration project" comments to DEC: http://toxicstargeting.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/ene_12011201a-p8-9.pdf
Sign This NEW Coalition letter
Please join me in signing a Coalition Letter to Governor Cuomo which requests that he withhold permitting for any horizontal hydraulic fracturing "demonstration project" in the Southern Tier or anywhere else in New York.
The coalition letter also requests that Governor Cuomo fulfill the mandates of Executive Order No. 41 without further delay. I urge you to read those mandates. They are extraordinarily powerful.
SIGN THE NEW COALITION LETTER TODAY!!!. GET MORE SIGNATORIES: http://toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/cuomo/coalition_letter/2012/de...
Assemblywoman Lifton's Legislator Sign-On Letter Now has More Than 60 Signatories
I am immensely pleased to report that Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton's Sign-On letter to Governor Cuomo regarding six critical shale gas concerns now has more than 60 Legislator signatories, including Assembly as well as State Senate reps as well as Democrats and Republicans.
That is super heavy-lifting. Thank you for all the calls you made. Keep them coming.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS SIGN-ON LETTER IS ONLY FOR LEGISLATORS.
Read the sign-on letter: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/77076301/BarbaraLiftonLetter.pdf
Contact your Legislators: http://www.nysenate.gov/senators and http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/
Please call to thank Assemblywoman Lifton for her heroic efforts: Ithaca office: 607 277 8030; Albany office: 518 455 5444.
Hydraulic Fracturing Panel Pledge
In shocking contrast, not one environmental group on DEC's Hydraulic Fracturing Panel has signed either the Maintain the Fracturing Moratorium Pledge or the Withdraw the Revised Draft SGEIS Coalition Letter. That speaks volumes about one group's claim that it "stands with the grassroots..."
See the Pledge and the Coalition Letter, respectively: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/alerts/2012/02/02/advisory... and http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/cuomo/coalition_letter/2011
Keep hammering away with emails and calls. More than 2,000 entreaties have been made. You cannot imagine what a powerful impact you are having.
NRDC/Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
I recently spoke with Frances Beinecke, President of Natural Resources Defense Council. She told me that NRDC was "not in a position" to sign the Fracking Moratorium Pledge or the Withdraw the SGEIS Coalition Letter.
I invite you to read what I wrote back to her: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/documents/letters/2012/05/...
Various activists and I recently met with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who I have worked with before. I presented him with a copy of the Fracking Moratorium Pledge. He read it and said "I do not see any reason why I wouldn't sign it," but he wanted to show it to his colleague, Kate Hudson, who did not attend the meeting.
Last week, I had an informative conversation with Bobby and Kate. They promised to get back to me shortly about signing the Fracking Moratorium Pledge.
Conclusion
In conclusion, all the efforts I am asking you to make can require Governor Cuomo to resolve all the shortcomings of the Revised Draft SGEIS before lifting New York's horizontal hydraulic fracturing moratorium. That would require achievements unprecedented in our nation's history of inadequate regulation of extraction mining.
Our state's shale fracking moratorium has been in effect for nearly four years despite seemingly insurmountable efforts to rescind it. It is imperative to maintain the fracking moratorium. I implore you to focus intently on that immediate task.
On a final note, killing a possible Southern Tier fracking "demonstration project" is also important because hundreds of wells in northern PA cannot convey their gas to market due to a 30-mile infrastructure gap between the PA border and the Millennium Pipeline that runs through Chemung, Tioga and Broome counties all the way down to Rockland County. A "demonstration project" could bridge that gap. See: http://www.millenniumpipeline.com/about.html
Keep pushing. No excuses.
Thanks so much for your help.
Cheers,
Walter