You are here
Marcellus Shale Press Coverage
Secondary tabs
Anti-fracking groups demand details of fracking ban
Binghamton, NY (WBNG Binghamton) Groups that oppose fracking for natural gas are calling on Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) to specifically detail how a ban on fracking in New York state will be carried out.
Cuomo announced his decision to ban fracking in December, but Toxics Targeting President Walter Hang says that's not enough.
Hang said the review released by the Department of Public Health does not specifically mention adopting a shale fracking ban, or making any such ban permanent.
"We just basically need to know, 'Is it gonna be banned for good? Is it gonna be banned for a little while?'" Hang said. "If it's a temporary ban, that's a moratorium. That's what we've had. The key thing is, we need to have public participation."
Department of Environmental Conservation officials said the findings of the health review will be included in a Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement, or SGEIS.
Hang's letter to the governor pushes for public opinion to be considered before a final SGEIS is adopted.
Fractivists seek clarification on fracking ban
Binghamton (WIVT) - While opponents of high volume horizontal hydrofracking have been celebrating a state ban on the controversial process, one prominent activist says no such permanent prohibition has yet been made official.
Walter Hang of Toxics Targeting has drafted a letter to Governor Cuomo asking him to clarify the state's stance and to open up the process for releasing a final supplemental generic environmental impact statement or S-GEIS.
During the December cabinet meeting in which the Commissioners of Health and Environmental Conservation announced that fracking would not proceed, no one mentioned an outright ban.
In fact, Health Commissioner Howard Zucker reasoned that more studying was necessary before making a final determination on whether fracking can be done safely.
Hang says, for now, the state's moratorium remains in place.
"I'm not going to throw caution to the wind at this late stage of the game. I want to know exactly what are they going to do. I want it open, I want it transparent and I want to be able to comment on it. I think that serves the public interest best of all," said Hang.
During the cabinet meeting, DEC Commissioner Joe Martens indicated that a final S-GEIS would be released by the end of this month.
Fracking opponents ask Cuomo for clarifications
Walter Hang of the Ithaca-based environmental research firm Toxics Targeting discusses a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed by more than 600 people asking for clarification about the state’s rules regarding high-volume hydraulic fracturing.
(Photo: JOHN R. ROBY / STAFF PHOTO)
Opponents of large-scale hydraulic fracturing are calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration to clarify the status of the drilling technique in New York state.
Walter Hang, of the Ithaca-based environmental research firm Toxics Targeting, has delivered a letter to the governor that is signed, he said, by more than 700 people, requesting that details be released in advance of a final environmental impact statement to be published by the Department of Environmental Conservation.
"We're simply asking the governor to publicly clarify how the findings and recommendations are going to be translated into public policy," Hang said during a news conference Monday outside the State Office Building in downtown Binghamton.
In December, state Acting Health Commissioner Howard Zucker announced the results of a review of the potential health impacts of large-scale fracking, concluding that there are too many areas where the science on the technique is inconclusive and urging the state to prevent it from moving forward.
DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said in December that and will include an outright ban.
DEC spokesman Tom Mailey said the department is working to complete the final environmental impact statement. State law does not require that it be opened to public comment.
"No sooner than 10 days after publication ... DEC Commissioner Joe Martens will issue a Findings Statement," Mailey said. "Until the Findings Statement is issued, the moratorium (on hydraulic fracturing) remains in effect."
Hang, speaking on behalf of a loose coalition of fracking opponents, said the concern is that despite the announcement of a fracking ban, the public health review report made no mention of banning fracking or enacting any kind of permanent, legally binding prohibition on shale fracking.
Hang's letter calls on Cuomo and the DEC to make public the contents of the final environmental report before it is published, to open it to public comment, and to include those comments when a final decision on a legally binding ban is made.
"This is a hugely important environmental and public health decision for New Yorkers, and it ought to be made openly and honestly," he said.
WNBF Interview 3/16/2015 with Walter Hang Re: Cuomo Asked to Provide Details on Fracking Ban
The state’s environmental conservation and health commissioners announced on December 17 that they would not support fracking for natural gas development. But no formal shale fracking ban has occurred in New York.
Walter Hang, president of Toxics Targeting, says many who have been fighting fracking in the state are concerned that a true prohibition won’t be put into place.
Speaking on WNBF Radio’s Binghamton Now program on Monday, Hang said “everyone simply assumed” shale fracking had been banned. In reality, he said, no one knows what the announcement made three months ago actually means for the future of gas development.
Hang said a coalition of those opposed to fracking is sending a letter to Governor Cuomo asking for a clarification of the matter.
The recommendations of the Public Health Review of fracking released in December may be incorporated into a final Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement. That document’s release could occur soon.
Hang said the letter to Cuomo requests that he provide public notice and hold public hearings before a final environmental statement is adopted by the state.
Activists Want Cuomo to Take More Steps in Banning Hydrofracking
Activists want Gov. Andrew Cuomo to take more steps to ensure hydrofracking never happens in New York state.
Leaders say the supplemental generic environmental impact statement has not been finalized yet, and they still have a lot of questions.
Walter Hang and a coalition of anti-hydrofracking supporters want the governor to spell out his policy. Right now, they say the health department review that's part of the impact statement is open-ended, leaving no legally binding ban on hydrofracking.
Leaders say the health review only states that hydrofracking should not proceed, and gives no length of time.
The coalition sent a letter to Cuomo asking him for more transparency in the process.
"Given that the governor isn't inviting us to hear about what he's proposing to do, we're following our method which has worked so well in the past. That's to write him very respectfully and try to educate the public about what's actually going on," said Hang, president of the group Toxics Targeting.
Hang also believes a public hearing should be held giving people a chance to comment on a final environmental impact statement.