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Great First Day of NYT Marcellus Shale Coverage

"We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." Benjamin Franklin

Greetings,

I was enthralled by the New York Times fracking wastewater piece today. I thought it was really powerful and groundbreaking. I hope you read Ian Urbina's piece in an actual newspaper because the story started below the fold on the front page and jumped to two whole inside pages!!! Thank you, Ian. See: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/us/27gas.html?hp

Thank you, also, Haeyoun Park, NYT Graphics Editor, for your terrific work.

Check out the interactive map: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/27/us/natural-gas-map.html?re...

Check out the documents referenced in the piece: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/27/us/natural-gas-documents-1...

There should be another front page piece tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed.

In the aftermath of this reporting, well-meaning individuals have proposed all kinds of pie-in-the-sky proposals that essentially have zero chance of coming to fruition. I implore everyone to hang together or you know what Ben Franklin said.

Joe Martens testified on 2/8/11 that he has no intention of expanding the scope of the draft SGEIS as required by Executive Order No. 41. If he has his way, horizontal hydrofracking could begin in New York's Marcellus Shale quite soon.

STICK TOGETHER. BE COACHABLE. WORK AS A TEAM. DO NOT WASTE THIS OPPORTUNITY. THERE MIGHT NOT BE ANOTHER.

Please sign the Cuomo Coaltion Letter if you have not already done so. Find as many other signatories as feasible: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/cuomo/coalition_letter

Then call and email Governor Andrew Cuomo, EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck and DEC Commissioner Nominee Joseph Martens. 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
governor@chamber.state.ny.us
518-474-8390 (o)

Judith Enck
enck.judith@epa.gov
212-637-5000 (o)

DEC Commissioner Nominee Joseph Martens
518-402-8545 (o)
Thanks for all your help.

Best,

Walter