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Government Officials Please Sign a Coalition Letter Requiring Public Participation for the DOH Review/Assessment

Busy Government Officials, please sign this critically important coalition letter requiring public participation for the DOH Review/Assessment of DEC's "health impact analysis:" http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/cuomo/gov-coalition-letter...

Greetings,

First and foremost, I hope that you are enjoying your holidays very much and counting your blessings.  We have all come much farther than anyone would have thought possible four years ago.  We have an enormous amount to be grateful for. 

Second, I want to thank everyone who made generous gifts of assistance or wrote me so kindly.  I cannot do my work without you.  Your assistance will advance us all toward the goal of protecting New York from shale gas fracking hazards.  Thank you on behalf of everyone who will benefit from your selflessness.

Onto the crucial matter at hand.  There has been no favorable reply from Governor Cuomo in response to the thousands of requests he received to require public participation in the DOH Review/Assessment of DEC's "health impact analysis."  That is extremely bad.  We need to push much, much harder or everything could be over by 2/27/13.

I IMPLORE ALL NEW YORK GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO SIGN A SELF-EXPLANATORY NEW COALITION LETTER WHICH REQUIRES GOVERNOR CUOMO TO REQUIRE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE DOH REVIEW/ASSESSMENT: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/cuomo/gov-coalition-letter...

If you are a Mayor, Assembly Member, State Senator, a Town Board Member, a City Council Representative or any other type of elected or appointed government official, please sign this straightforward and completely reasonable letter.

If you are not a government official, immediately ask ALL of your ELECTED AND APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVES to sign the letter!!!  This is something that every single person can do to help.  Officials in the Southern Tier are our top priority.

New York's decision to permit shale gas fracking could depend on DOH's Review/Assessment.  It is imperative that it be comprehensive in scope, properly conducted and undertaken openly and transparently with a) full public notice, b) ample opportunity for public comment and c) a public hearing to allow testimony from all interested parties. 

WHO COULD POSSIBLY BE AGAINST PUBLIC PARTICIPATION FOR ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY PROCEEDING IN RECENT NEW YORK HISTORY? 

IT WOULD BE UNCONSCIONABLE AND IRRESPONSIBLE OF THE GOVERNOR TO ALLOW THE DOH REVIEW/ASSESSMENT TO BE CONDUCTED IN SECRET WITHOUT PUBLIC INPUT. 

A total of only 25, 50 or 100 government official signatories could tip the scales of justice in favor of democracy.  Go beat the bushes.  The heavier the hitter, the better.  The more signatories, the better. 

It is entirely appropriate for the appointed Members of the DEC Hydraulic Fracturing Advisory Panel to sign the letter.  Ask them very respectfully to do so.  If you receive a favorable reply, please thank the Panel member profusely.

See Advisory Panel Members and Contact Info: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/dec-fracking-panel

We have exactly two months until DEC's shale gas Revised Rulemaking proposal has to be finalized by 2/27/13.  In order for that to happen, both the DOH Review/Assessment and a Final SGEIS would very likely have to be adopted. 

First things first.  Get government official signatories.  It does not matter what else Panel Members and other officials have done.  Signing this coalition letter is the critical matter at hand.  Ask nicely, but firmly.  FOCUS ON THAT "ASK."

As soon as a respectable number of signatories is generated, I will submit the letter to Governor Cuomo to try to prevent him from going forward.  We will then try to garner press coverage for our effort.  We will then try to build the coalition of government officials into a political force substantial enough to secure public participation. 

Go hard.  Have fun. 

I hope to see you at State of the State on 1/9/13 in Albany. 

Best,

Walter