Super Dangerous Month Ahead/You Snooze, We All Could Lose/Keep Pushing!!!

Too busy to read yet another excruciatingly detailed missive?  Take immediate action instead: 

http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/alerts/2013/08/07/quick-action
 
Greetings,

I write to alert you that we could be facing our most dangerous month yet during the five-year battle to prevent Marcellus Shale fracking in New York pending adoption of meaningful public health, environmental and financial SGEIS safeguards.  

Governor Cuomo's plummeting poll numbers have him working relentlessly to increase his popularity in upstate New York.  He might be making tough decisions about many issues, including shale fracking.

We must not take anything for granted.  Do not snooze or we could all lose.  I beg you to bolster your advocacy and organizing efforts or we could be doomed so fast that your head will spin.  

With one dreaded news release, we would weep bitter tears despite so many years of incredibly hard work. 

Governor Cuomo's 2014 Election Day

Students of Albany politics believe that Governor Cuomo would never authorize shale fracking within a year of election day 2014.  He likely fears that his personal decision to greenlight this vastly destructive fossil fuel extraction technology would cause hordes of rabid activists to hound him mercilessly at every stop along his re-election campaign trail.  He has got that right.  

If Andrew Cuomo fatefully decides to bite the bullet and permit shale fracking in New York, he is far more likely to do so during the dog days of August when activists and reporters are away on vacation and his anticipated re-election day is fifteen months away.

Take Urgent Action Today

We must keep cranking up the pressure on Governor Cuomo to halt his Department of Health (DOH) Review.  If we can require Governor Cuomo to resolve shale fracking health concerns once and for all by undertaking a comprehensive "Public Health Impact Study," Marcellus gas extraction would not be permitted in New York for years to come.

A.  WRITE AND CALL GOVERNOR CUOMO TO REQUEST THAT HE STOP HIS DOH REVIEW AND UNDERTAKE A SHALE FRACKING "PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACT STUDY": (518) 474-8390 and http://apps.toxicstargeting.com/ms_email_template.php

Underscore if you voted for him, contributed financial support to his campaign or are politically noteworthy in any way.  Each and every activist should use every hook you have got.

B.  Write members of DEC's Hydraulic Fracturing Advisory Panel to echo the above request and to hold them accountable:http://apps.toxicstargeting.com/panel_email_template.php  

We must make sure that mainstream paid environmentalists do not provide "green" political cover for any demonstration project in the Southern Tier or anywhere else in New York.

Terrific Feedback

I am pleased to alert you that we are having wonderful impacts.  

I was informed by one Fracking Panel member that your communications crashed that person's email server TWICE.  Great job.  

Check out a memorable communication from the Governor's Southern Tier coordinator, Kevin McCabe: 

Walter,

Is there anything I can do to get off of these emails? I have nothing to do with this issue and all this does is clog up my blackberry. I understand everyone's concern, but putting me on this chain accomplishes nothing. Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Kevin 

I fulfilled Mr. McCabe's request.  I am pleased to report that from now on Howard Glaser, the Governor's key shale fracking policy person, will be cc'd instead.  Please welcome him aboard with some pithy communications.  

Read the latest poignant and powerful missives to Fracking Panelists, including moving statements from an eloquent 8-year-old, long-time residents of the Southern Tier and super-well-informed activists from hither and yon.  We are within spitting distance of 400 communications:http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/documents/2013/07/02/emails-to-panel

See recent media coverage: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/news/2013-07-16/wnbf-interview-71613

http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/news/2013-07-22/wrfi-interview-july-22-2013

http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/news/2013-07-09/fracking-opponents-new-york-say-gasland-movies-help

http://www.toxicstargeting.com/news/2013-07-20/doe-fracking-didnt-taint-water

Thank You Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan

I am thankful to report that the latest State official to question the DOH Review is Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan.  She recently wrote Commissioners Martens and Shah to voice concerns and to request that the Fracking Advisory Panel be convened to address this matter.  Read her letters:http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/documents/2013/07/23/nolan_card

Please join me in commending the Assemblywoman for her leadership.  When an elected official of her stature formally writes about an issue, the request carries a lot of weight.  

Ms. Nolan repeatedly signs our coalition letters while undoubtedly understanding what is at stake regarding her relationship with a very important fellow Democrat originally from Queens.  That is rare political courage.  Catherine Nolan is always willing to do what she believes is right.  Her help means so much.  Thank you, Ms. Nolan, very much.  You are a credit to the New York Assembly.  

Conclusion

Since last November, our DOH Review strategy has worked swimmingly to maintain New York's shale fracking moratorium.  

Our tightly coordinated grassroots organizing, coalition building, media outreach and policy advocacy efforts were instrumental in preventing completion of a DOH Review conducted in secret without any public input.  As a result, no Final SGEIS could be adopted.  Consequently, DEC's shale gas rulemaking proceeding collapsed in a stunning and embarrassing fiasco.  

Governor Cuomo, Commissioners Martens and Shah as well as members of the Fracking Panel have now been deluged for nearly nine months by your respectful requests to maintain New York's shale fracking moratorium by: 

a) halting the secret DOH Review that lacks any public participation whatsoever, 

b) undertaking a comprehensive shale fracking Public Health Impact Study to resolve all fracking health hazard concerns once and for all, and 

c) withdrawing the inadequate and incomplete Revised Draft SGEIS to resolve its documented shortcomings.  

Thousands of highly-informed, well-written, politically astute requests pack an enormous wallop when combined with massive press coverage that hammers these requests home day after day, month after month, year after year.    

Our impressive coalition now includes hundreds of government officials as well as thousands of scientists, physicians, academic researchers, health professionals of every type, including an unusual number of dentists, farmers, business owners, educators, religious, environmental and civic leaders, artists, concerned citizens and many future leaders of America.  

Thank you so much for your assistance.  Please give yourself another nice pat on the back.  

Onward and upward.  Keep plugging.  The chips are down.

Cheers,

Walter 

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