Greetings,
I urgently implore you to attend a RALLY ONE WEEK FROM TODAY at the New York State Capitol (West Capitol Park, Swan Street Steps) on March 24, 2011 at 12 noon to call upon Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to expand the scope of the Marcellus Shale Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS).
This is a crucial requirement for fulfilling Executive Order No. 41's mandate to "analyze comprehensively the environmental impacts associated with high-volume hydraulic fracturing combined with horizontal drilling..." as well as "ensure that such impacts are appropriately avoided or mitigated..."
We have a tremendous amount of momentum generated by Ian Urbina's epic series in The New York Times on horizontal hydrofracturing wastewater hazards as well as thousands of follow-up articles. See below. It is imperative that we take immediate, full advantage of this opportunity.
Expanding the scope of the SGEIS is the best way to continue the de facto moratorium that has prevented a single horizontal hydrofracturing gas well from being drilled in NYS's Marcellus Shale for more than two and a half years. This is the surest and most effective way to continue to safeguard New York from horizontal hydrofracturing. The de facto moratorium continues until a Final SGEIS is adopted.
We must persuade Governor Cuomo to respond favorably to the coalition letter requesting him to fulfill the requirements of Executive Order No. 41. More than 4,000 elected officials, farmers, business owners, civic and environmental groups as well as citizens are now signatories to that letter. To date, he has not responded in any way.
See: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/cuomo/coalition_letter
I look forward to seeing you next Thursday in Albany. Bring everyone you can as well as your biggest signs and banners. After the rally, we will march to the Governor's office on the Second Floor of the Capitol to let him know we support his policy that New York's "watersheds are sacrosanct."
You should try to schedule meetings with your Assembly and State Senate representatives to persuade them to sign and support the Cuomo coalition letter. Focus on expanding the scope of the SGEIS as spelled out below.
Best,
Walter
Call and email Governor Andrew Cuomo, EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck, DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Ask them to support:
- Expanding the scope of the draft SGEIS to include additional concerns, notably how to manage gas drilling wastewater;
- Establishing Citizens and Technical Advisory Committees to help DEC revise the draft SGEIS;
- Providing at least 30 days public comment to identify additional issues to be included in the draft SGEIS scope;
- Requiring individual EIS reviews for horizontal hydrofracturing permits, "GA effluent limitations" for hydrofracturing, deep well injection and wastewater treatment as well as updating DEC's 1992 GEIS.
Please bcc: info@toxicstargeting.com
- Governor Andrew Cuomo
http://www.governor.ny.gov/contact/GovernorContactForm.php
518-474-8390 (o) - EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck
enck.judith@epa.gov
212-637-5000 (o) - DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens
518-402-8545 (o)
joemartens@gw.dec.state.ny.us - Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
PHONE 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK outside NYC)
FAX (212) 312-0700
E-MAIL: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html
You can read Ian Urbina's three front-page stories in The New York Times and check out the accompanying graphics/document applications at: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/us/series/drilling_down/index.html
I posted a compilation of key horizontal hydrofracturing documents at: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/documents/epa_state_other_...
You can hear me discussing those documents on Democracy Now at: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/news/2011-03-04/leaked-epa-documents-expo...
You can hear a podcast about the documents at: http://www.whcu870.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=5...
