Marcellus Shale Press Coverage

As time runs out to comment on the draft of the Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Oil and Gas Mining through horizontal drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing, Walter Hang, president of Toxics Targeting, made a passionate plea last night to kill the draft of the SGEIS altogether.

A public hearing concerning regulatory measures for horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing for the local Marcellus Shale natural gas resource was held at the State Theater in Ithaca last night, the topic of discussion: the draft of the Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (dSGEIS). While local Ithacans criticized both the proposed plan as well as the drilling in general, Department for Environmental Conservation (DEC), the government agency responsible for the draft, would only listen to critiques of the document itself.

Natural Gas Companies' “Hydrofracking” Represents a Dangerous Threat to the New York State Ecosystem, New York City Water Supply

ITHACA -- Thousands of New Yorkers signed a petition asking Gov. David Paterson to scrap natural gas drilling regulations, and start from scratch.

Environmentalists, landowners -- even politicians -- are voicing concerns over the DEC's draft environmental impact statement on horizontal gas drilling.

Ithaca environmentalist Walter Hang found hundreds of spills not properly cleaned up after they were drilled using the traditional vertical method. He says if that could happen, horizontal drilling could also be problematic.

An Ithaca environmental activist and 6,000 other individuals and organizations asked the governor Tuesday to withdraw the state's newly drafted regulations on natural gas drilling, saying the state's entire regulatory framework needs to be strengthened before more drilling occurs.

Cayuga Heights has no plans to accept gas drilling wastewater in the foreseeable future, Mayor Jim Gilmore said Tuesday.

"Not in the near future, and based on what we know today, not even in the distant future. But I think it's a subject we'll probably have to revisit. Probably the industry will force us to," Gilmore said. "Already in the last couple months I've had private entities come to me and talk about processing drill water and I told them we're not in the business of accepting drill water at this time."

ITHACA -- Residents are being invited to add their voices to the controversial conversation about state gas drilling regulations in a series of events Thursday.

The first is a rally, set for the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Ithaca Commons from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Local and state legislators will take the microphone alongside several environmental experts and a few musical acts.

It will be followed at 7 p.m. by a public hearing at the State Theatre.

The battle over natural gas drilling in New York state reached a crescendo Tuesday night. Hundreds of city and state residents converged on Stuyvesant High School in downtown Manhattan to have their voices heard on the State’s controversial decision to permit drilling in the Marcellus Shale.

Toxics Targeting, Inc., president Walter Hang was interviewed on WHCU 870 AM on Monday, November 16, 2009. The interview appeared on the WHCU Morning Newswatch.