Historic Event in Binghamton/Thanks so much

Greetings,

I want to thank everyone who showed up in Binghamton on Tuesday to support Dan Lamb as he literally signed the coalition letters requesting that the Marcellus Shale Revised Draft SGEIS be Withdrawn and that Governor Cuomo not permit any shale gas fracturing demonstration project in the Southern Tier or anywhere else in New York State.

The event was totally stupendous with a fired up crowd, great visuals and powerful introductory remarks by Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan and Cornell Professor Bob Howarth. Most importantly, Dan gave a thrilling and substantive landmark speech.

I invite you to view it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5PlWolwAO8

Here are my remarks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQRVIUCxP18

The 22nd Congressional District race is a national referendum on shale gas fracking concerns. Governor Cuomo is already feeling increased pressure to address the substantive concerns spelled out in both Coalition Letters.

Dan stated exactly where he stands on this issue. As a result, he is already taking hits for his strong environmental protection position.

Dan is in for the fight of his life and really needs your help. I urge you to contribute your time and support as generously as you can. If you help Dan, he will be in a position to help you. Learn more at: http://www.danlambforcongress.com/

We are in this fight together. Anyone who demonstrates this much political courage needs all of us by his side. Please do not let Dan down. Every day, every lawn sign, every vote and every dollar is going to count in the weeks ahead. Give it all that you have got. I know that we can prevail.

Check out the terrific media coverage:

http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/news/2012-08-28/lamb-elect...

http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/news/2012-08-28/lamb-stand...

http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/news/WBGH/2012-08-28/lamb-...

http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/news/2012-08-28/hydrofrack...

Best,

Walter

See excerpts below as well as Dan's blog on shale gas: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-lamb/new-york-fracking_b_1818600.html

My name is Dan Lamb, and I am running for Congress at the literal, geographic epicenter of the debate over hydraulic fracturing. New York's newly created 22nd congressional district includes all or part of three of the five counties in which Governor Cuomo may permit fracking without an independent assessment of the health, environmental and economic impacts.

This plan could have catastrophic consequences for the environment and well-being of Upstate New York families, and that is why I have decided to take a strong stand against it moving forward. I firmly believe that the Southern Tier should not be used as the guinea pig for New York's shale gas experiment. If shale gas extraction is not safe everywhere in New York, it is certainly not safe anywhere in New York (emphasis added).

My opponent, on the other hand, has invested millions with large oil and gas companies, including some of those responsible for environmental contamination in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Congressman Richard Hanna voted repeatedly to maintain subsidies for the oil and gas industry, but called investments in renewable energy "pathetic." He has not signed onto the FRAC Act or made any effort to address the risks of hydraulic fracturing. We can't trust him to take this issue seriously.

The choice couldn't be clearer. This is the first race in the country about hydraulic fracturing. It is a referendum on unsafe, unstudied drilling, and it's a race we must win. The good news is that a strong majority of residents in this part of New York agree with me. In a recent poll of the 22nd congressional district, 57 percent of voters took a stand against hydrofracking, even though the region has been bombarded for years by millions of dollars in industry-funded advertising. Upstate New Yorkers are smart folks who simply aren't buying the lies and propaganda, and they don't tolerate indifference to our environment and public health.

We've seen the videos of families lighting their faucets on fire. We've read of the blowouts, explosions and spills. We've heard of the dead livestock and sick children, sullied water and noxious air. We've learned there are millions and millions of gallons of contaminated drilling waste with no safe place to go. But what we haven't seen are enough leaders in government who are willing to act responsibly to protect public health and the environment before it's too late.

New York's moratorium must remain in place, and all current plans to allow drilling must be stopped. It is unthinkable to permit drilling before the Environmental Protection Agency's ongoing study and a comprehensive public health impact assessment are completed. At the state level, the Department of Environmental Conservation should scrap the current Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement and address the concerns raised by the EPA and thousands of New Yorkers (emphasis added).