NYC Senators Introduce Four Bills to Control, Ultimately Ban Marcellus Shale Drilling in NY
Three State Senators from New York City—Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan), Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach), and Tony Avella (D-Bayside)—have banded together and introduced four Marcellus Shale drilling bills in hopes one or more of them will become law. Their ultimate aim? To ban the practice of hydraulic fracturing in New York State on claims it will pollute New York City’s water supplies.
The first bill, sponsored by Krueger, would place greater regulations on the use of fluids used in the drilling, including prohibiting the use of "frac fluids," which can often contain carcinogenic materials. The second bill, sponsored by Avella, includes a more comprehensive regulation of the operations; including limiting the area drilling can take place. The third, sponsored by Addabbo, would require testing of waste from drilling for radioactivity and finally the fourth, sponsored by Avella, would ban hydrofracking altogether.
"It is clear to me, that until we can be assured that the practice of hydrofracking presents absolutely no threat to New York’s residents and their drinking water, we must completely ban fracking," said Avella.*
Their stated strategy is to get the first three bills passed to protect water supplies while giving anti-drillers time to develop the “political appetite” in the state to ban drilling altogether.
*Queens Tribune (Apr 14, 2011) – Boro Pols Join Chorus To Defend City Water
Why does the Senator from Bayside care about the drilling for Marcellus are they thinking of drilling in Bayside. What a butt-kisser to his liberal no-nothing constituents. Development of the Marcellus is a local issue to be decided by landowners and townsfolks where drilling will be located. Avella makes me ill. Ban fracking why? It doesn’t hurt the environment at all. Hundreds of thousands of wells have been fracked over the past 100 years and no problems.