You are here

Prohibit Gelled Propane Fracking Coalition letter Gains 750+ Signatories and Extensive Media Coverage/New York's Much-Ballyhooed Statewide Fracking "Ban" Has a Dangerous Loophole That We Must Close ASAP

Please call Governor Cuomo during business hours at 518 474 8390 to request that he immediately prohibit the use of "gelled propane," Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) and all other so-called "environmentally friendly" non-water shale gas fracking methods in New York pending an environmental impact assessment conducted pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR).

Please support Toxics Targeting's unique, on-going campaign to keep shale fracking 100% out of New York: http://toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/donate

Greetings,

It is now beyond dispute that New York's definition of "high-volume hydraulic fracturing" contains a dangerous loophole that fails to prohibit "gelled propane," also known as Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG), and other so-called "environmentally friendly" fracking methods that do not use water. See definition at the end of this alert.

Two gelled propane/LPG fracking applications are now under review by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for the Town of Barton in Tioga County. This is precisely where Governor Cuomo reportedly supported "phased-permitting" of shale fracking along the border with Pennsylvania.

New York Still Not Safe From Threat of Shale Fracking

The battle to safeguard New York from shale fracking is obviously far from over. In only one week, our campaign to require Governor Cuomo to prohibit gelled propane/LPG fracking is barreling along full-steam ahead. Our efforts just received excellent media coverage. Thanks to the Binghamton press corps for their hard work on a super busy news day.

See: Walter Hang Interview on Binghamton Now - 7/23/2015

Anti-Fracking Activists Call For Ban on Alternative Methods of Fracking

Group calls on Cuomo to close fracking loophole

Activists Call on Gov. Cuomo to Ban 'Green Alternative' Fracking

http://toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/news/2015-07-23/call-for-gelled-propane-fracking-ban-news-conference

Red Alert: Take Urgent Action Today

Please take urgent action to make sure that New York remains 100% free of shale fracking. Do not believe assertions that Governor Cuomo totally "banned" shale fracking or that firms will not frack New York due to the unrewarding economics of shale gas extraction.

New York remains under systematic shale fracking assault by the biggest corporations in America. Let me briefly explain what is going on and how we can best respond.

Statewide Shale Fracking Prohibition Has a Big Loophole That Must Be Plugged

When the Final SGEIS (Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement) Findings Statement was issued on June 29th, it sounded great:

"Selection of the No Action alternative means that the Department will not establish a high-volume hydraulic fracturing permitting program; that no individual or site-specific permit applications for wells using high-volume hydraulic fracturing will be processed; and that high-volume hydraulic fracturing will be prohibited in New York State (emphasis added)."

The problem is that hidden in a Findings Statement footnote is the definition of high-volume hydraulic fracturing. It only applies to "300,000 gallons or more of water (emphasis added)" and does not prohibit "gelled propane," LPG and other "environmental friendly chemical approach" fracking methods that were specifically rejected because:

"they all fail to limit unavoidable adverse environmental impacts and fail to address the risks and uncertainties of high-volume hydraulic fracturing (emphasis added)."

Gelled propane/LPG is extraordinarily flammable and explosive. When used for fracking, it does not eliminate generation of highly toxic and radioactive "produced water," otherwise known as "brine" or a wide array of other environmental hazards.

Call Governor Cuomo During Business Hours at 518 474 8390 to Request That He Immediately Prohibit Gelled Propane and LPG Fracking in NYS.

Respectfully request that the Governor immediately prohibit the use of "gelled propane" LPG and all other so-called "environmentally friendly" non-water shale gas fracking methods in New York pending an environmental impact assessment conducted pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR).

Beat the Bushes for Signatories to Our New Coalition Letter

Our coalition letter includes detailed documentation to support our request and has already been delivered to the Governor with a respectful cover note. We will update his office as more signatories are added.

Sign here: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/letters/2015/7/16/coalition-letter-cuomo-prohibit-green-alternative-shale-fracking-methods

Impressive Coalition Letter Signatories

Our coalition letter has more than 750 signatories, including an amazing array of physicians, artists, elected government officials, attorneys, nurses, health professionals, psychotherapists, educators, religious leaders, scientists, academic researchers, geographers, biologists, farmers, small business owners, philanthropists, students and concerned citizens of every ilk.

The signatories are identified with more than 100 environmental, civic, cultural, historic preservation, artistic, public interest, academic and sustainable energy groups, institutions and government bodies. See the impressive list below.

They hail from all over New York as well as Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado, Oregon, California and London, United Kingdom.

Big Green Groups Fail to Support Gelled Propane/LPG Coalition Letter

Not one statewide or national environmental group in New York is a signatory to our latest coalition letter. That has been pretty much par for the course over the last six years.

Some big green groups reportedly assured their members that they are working "behind the scenes" to address gelled propane/LPG concerns. With all respect, that is unacceptable. Organizations must publicly oppose gelled propane/LPG fracking or it will appear that they tacitly approve of the "environmentally-friendly chemical alternatives" approach.

If you are a member of any big green groups, please ask them very firmly to sign the coalition letter. Do not accept any lame excuses. You can always threaten to withhold contributions. If you are a heavy hitter, please lean very hard.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the citizens who battled so long and well to prevent adoption of an inadequate SGEIS have been instrumental in making sure that not even one shale gas production well has ever been fracked in New York. But we have much more work to do. I implore you to stay focused and to keep pushing. Everything good that we have achieved in the last seven years is on the line.

Please continue to "trust, but verify" because "nothing can be taken for granted," "the devil is in the details" and "it ain't over till it's over."

Thanks so much. Onward and upward.

Cheers,

Walter

Signatories to New Coalition Letter Identified with More Than 100 Environmental, Civic, Religious and Other Groups, Organizations and Institutions from Coast to Coast

See: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/letters/2015/7/16/coalition-letter-cuomo-prohibit-green-alternative-shale-fracking-methods

Chenango Community Action for Renewable Energy

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Lakeshore Env Action

Chris Dennis Environment Fund

Enfield Neighbors for Safe Air and Water

Southern Oregon Blue Skies Project

Concerned Citizens of Rural Broome

Energy Conservation Specialists, LLC

Cayuga Anti-Fracking Alliance

Dryden Resource Awareness Coalition

Sanford-Oquaga Area Concerned Citizens

Sustainable Tompkins

NY4Whales.org

Rochester Defense Against Fracking

Blue Quarry Designs

Residents Allied for the Future of Tioga

Independent Strategies

ClearView Psychotherapy Associates

Bronx River Bicycle Works

VeRSE, Hoyt Foundation, cooperative Gallery 213

Far Rider Farm

Damascus Citizens for Sustainability

Cornell University

SUNY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY at ALFRED

University of Rochester Medical Center

American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS)

Kingstoncitizens.org

Earth Guardians Fruita, Colorado

Serenity Software

Lamoka-Waneta Lakes Association

First Ward Alderperson
City of Ithaca

ithaca city school district

Fossil Fuel Resistance

Olive Defense Against Fracking

American Federation of Musicians Local 802

NYRAD

Symphoria

Ithaca College

Social Justice and Outreach Committee
Church of the Assumption, Fairport NY

Colorbrightongreen.org

Transfiguration Monastery

Quest Farm

Kestrel Haven Migration Observatory

Goldpetals

PAUSE

WVKR

R-CAUSE (Rochesterians Concerned About Unsafe Shale-gas Extraction)
Rochester, N.Y.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

BeanCounters Unlimited

Handmade Frames, Inc.

Earth Guardians NY

Shamrock Hill Farm

Concerned Citizens of Otego

Protect Orange County

A Stone's Throw Bed & Breakfast

Church Women United in New York State

Village Independent Democrats

Yurt at Loomis Lair

franciscan mountain retreat

Concerned Citizens of Allegany County

Town of Ithaca Conservation Board

Rogers Deadfall Furniture

Siena College

Groton Resource Awareness Coalition

Vestal Residents for Safe Energy (VeRSE)

Transition Catskills

Bergen Swamp Society

Climate Justice

Sierra Club

O. C. Peace and Justice

Finger Lakes Zero Waste Coalition, Inc.

Stewart Park and Reserve Coalition (SPARC)

Earth Guardians NY

Ithaca-SHIP

Lakehouse Graphics

Marist College

Green Party

Montclair State Univerity

Park Foundation

Wells College

Covert Counts; Finger Lakes Sierra Club

Councilwoman
Town of Binghamton

Advocates for Springfield

Southern Cayuga Anti-Fracking Alliance

Compressor Free Franklin, Franklin Local, Ltd,

Geography and Environmental Planning

Ban Unconventional Gas Extraction

Common Ground

REALNYS

Village Trustee
Village of Cooperstown New York

Grassroots Environmental Education

Preserve the Hudson Vally, Stop the CPV plant

Catskill Heritage Alliance

Creating Change Consulting

Build a better future

Community Science Institute

Great Lakes Brewing News

Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy

Environmental Climate Task Force First Unitarian Rochester

Regional Action Group for the Environment- RAGE

Concerned Residents of Oxford

"1 High-volume hydraulic fracturing is defined as the stimulation of a well using 300,000 or more gallons of water (emphasis added) as the base fluid for hydraulic fracturing for all stages in a well completion, regardless of whether the well is vertical or directional, including horizontal. The 300,000-gallon threshold is the sum of all water (emphasis added), fresh and recycled, used for all stages in a well completion. Well stimulation requiring less than 300,000 gallons of water (emphasis added) as the base fluid for hydraulic fracturing for all stages in a well completion is not considered high-volume, and will continue to be reviewed and permitted pursuant to the 1992 GEIS, and 1992 and 1993 Findings Statements."

If you would like to unsubscribe, please send a blank email to: signatories_list-unsubscribe@lists.toxicstargeting.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ttmarcellus

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tt.marcellusshale