Supervisor Snopek Form Letter

Honorable Supervisor Snopek
Town of Chenango Town Hall
1529 State Route 12
Binghamton, NY 13901

Dear Mr. Snopek:

My name is B. P. and I live at ___ State Route 12. I write today to request that the Town of Chenango adopt no resolutions or public policies at this time supporting Marcellus Shale gas extraction.

Since 2008, a shale gas fracking moratorium has been in effect in New York pending adoption of comprehensive environmental and health safeguards pursuant to a Final Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS).

Until a Final SGEIS is adopted, I believe that it would be premature and entirely inappropriate for the Town of Chenango to adopt any pro-fracking policies.

Executive Order No. 41

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) released a Draft SGEIS in the fall of 2009, butGovernor Paterson deemed the proposal to be inadequate and incomplete.

In December 2010, he signed Executive Order No. 41 which requires DEC to analyze shale gas fracking's environmental impacts "comprehensively" and to make "revisions" the draft SGEIS to comply with applicable legal requirements.

Upon taking office, Governor Cuomo immediately signed a "continuation" of Executive Order No. 41. As a result, DEC issued a Revised Draft SGEIS in September 2011 and is currently reviewing approximately 67,000 public comments regarding that proposal.

Documented Shortcomings of DEC's SGEIS Proposals

DEC's Draft and Revised Draft SGEIS proposals have received intense criticism from the elected officials, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, academic researchers, physicians, scientists, farmers, local businesses as well as concerned citizens across New York and in our own community.

Please review a detailed coalition letter with more than 22,000 signatories which requests that Governor Cuomo withdraw the Revised Draft SGEIS until 17 documented concerns have been fully resolved.

See: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/cuomo/coalition_letter/2011

I also ask you to review a coalition letter with more than 2,700 signatories that opposes any Fracking "Demonstration Project" in the Southern Tier and requests strict enforcement of Executive Order No. 41.

See: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/cuomo/coalition_letter/201...

Finally, you can review a bi-partisan letter co-signed by a total of 76 Assembly and State Senate representatives which requests that Governor Cuomo resolve six critical concern before permitting shale gas fracking.

See: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/documents/letters/2012/06/...

Conclusion

For all these reasons, I request that the Town of Chenango adopt no resolutions or public policies at this time in support of Marcellus Shale gas extraction.

Shale gas extraction in New York is a highly complex issue that warrants careful and transparent public policy consideration. If the Town of Chenango ultimately addresses that matter, I request that all deliberations strictly comply with the New York State Open Meetings Law regarding public disclosure and participation.

See: http://www.dos.ny.gov/coog/openmeetlaw.html

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about my request. I can assure you that I am entirely open to your views. I look forward to receiving your prompt reply.

Thank you for your consideration and your public service.

Very truly yours,

B. P.
___ State Route 12
Binghamton, NY 13901