12/23/2009
Greetings,
More than 8,000 citizens, Mayors, Assembly members, Town Supervisors, County Legislators, a Congressional Representative, other elected officials, religious leaders and local/state/national environmental organizations have now signed the coalition letter requesting Governor Paterson to withdraw the draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (dSGEIS) for Marcellus Shale Horizontal Drilling and Hydrofracking. Our efforts continue to receive extensive local, state and national media coverage.
Signatories include key New York City officials, notably City Council Member James Gennaro, Chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection, and Assembly Member Catherine Nolan as well as more than 100 wineries, farms, businesses and good government organizations.
As we head down the homestretch of the public comment period with only nine days to go, your help is more essential than ever.
Governor Paterson is reportedly being deluged with emails, phone calls and faxes. Keep pushing the governor to withdraw the dSGEIS. See below.
Congressional Representatives Maurice Hinchey and Michael Arcuri have inexplicably failed to sign the coalition letter. Please call them today and very respectfully urge them to become signatories and to take personal action to persuade Governor Paterson to withdraw the draft SGEIS. Congressman Eric Massa is a signatory.
Congressman Hinchey has been a leading environmental advocate for decades. As a former chair of the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee, he served many years with DEC Commissioner Grannis. He also worked extensively with the governor. His district includes the Catskills where New York City has major reservoirs. He could play a pivotal role in withdrawing the dSGEIS.
Email his environmental staffperson: dan.lamb@mail.house.gov
Call Congressman Hinchey:
Middletown Office
Phone: (845) 344-3211
Binghamton Office
Phone: (607) 773-2768
Kingston Office
Phone: (845) 331-4466
Ithaca Office
Phone: (607) 273-1388
Monticello Office
Phone: (845) 791-7116
Email Congressman Arcuri: http://forms.house.gov/arcuri/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm
Call Congressman Arcuri:
Cortland Office
Phone: 607-756-2470
Utica Office
Phone: 315-793-8146/8147
Auburn Office
Phone: 315 252-2777/2778
Recent Media Coverage: Politicians Choose Sides in Marcellus Shale Drilling Debate: http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200912132145/NEW...
Private Well in Geneva, NY reportedly impacted by natural gas fracking: http://www.cnycentral.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=388797
Damning New Evidence Raises Concerns About Threats to New York's Water From Gas Drilling: New York may be the next state to become embroiled in a mess of litigation and public outcry over a controversial drilling technique: http://www.truthout.org/1213095
Proposed Gas Drilling Threatens New York City's Water. See below.
Urge your family, friends, colleagues and elected representatives to take immediate action. Forward this email or post our Contact the Governor page on your preferred social networking site. See below.
After you persuade everyone you know to sign the coalition letter plus email and phone Governor Paterson, you can consider trying to persuade your local City, Town or Village officials to adopt a resolution in favor of withdrawing the dSGEIS. I earlier provided a Town of Ithaca resolution that can be adapted for any community.
Thanks for all your help. POUR IT ON. NO EXCUSES. Happy Holidays.
Walter Hang