Hydraulic Fracturing

It’s official: The New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will file for a 90-day extension on the rulemaking process for fracking. Although it would be better for the DEC to just release the new rules now, before tomorrow (Nov. 29), at least the process is still alive, albeit now delayed. Still, given the current climate in New York, MDN takes it as good news for landowners and a signal that drilling may indeed yet come to the Empire State.

Here’s how it all came down yesterday, with Gov. Andrew Cuomo admitting to reporters that the DEC will “have to” file for an extension:

Read More “NY DEC Files for 90-Day Fracking Rules Extension, What Now?”

In order to comply with the Great Lakes Compact, the New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation yesterday instituted a new permitting system for large water withdrawals from NY bodies of water. The new system impacts any industry or user withdrawing more than 100,000 gallons per day. It also helps pave the way for natural gas drillers who use fracking—when and if new fracking rules are released in the state.

Read More “NY DEC New Permit System for Large Water Withdrawals”

The Independent Oil & Gas Association of New York (IOGA of NY), Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY) and a number of other landowner and business groups announced yesterday they have launched a new public relations advertising campaign that calls on Gov. Cuomo and state leaders to end the delays in allowing safe natural gas drilling in the state.

From the press announcement:

Read More “NY Groups Launch New Ad Campaign – End Fracking Delays Now”

New York Residents Against Drilling (NYRAD) recently issued an email containing a letter from Walter Hang of Toxics Targeting (based in where else? Ithaca, NY). Hang issued a Thanksgiving message (forwarded by NYRAD) celebrating another year without fracking in New York, and updating the faithful on where things stand with the current moratorium. Hang does a pretty fair job of representing the complex situation as it stands in New York, and what may/may not happen next.

MDN is reprinting his entire message below (no changes, no comments, formatting as originally received) to offer those interested in what’s happening with fracking in NY a chance to see the issue through the eyes of anti-drillers. Sometimes it’s useful to walk in the other guy’s shoes to gain perspective…

Read More “Anti-Drillers’ Perspective on Where Things Stand in NY”

Finally, a bit of good news for New Yorkers who want to see fracking come to the Empire State. As MDN has pointed out many times, the situation in New York State (will they or won’t they allow fracking?) is like a protracted death scene in an opera. Die already!

We have a new twist in the drama, as reported by Gannett yesterday. MDN recently told you that one of the three outside experts hired to review the Dept. of Environmental Conservation’s draft drilling regulations from the perspective of impacts on public health—Lynn Goldman of George Washington University—said she was given a mid-February deadline (see this MDN story). She’s since revised her comments and now says her real deadline is December 3rd, although she’ll be on retainer (paid) through mid-February, presumably to provide more consulting or any follow-up work from the report she’ll help write and file by December 3.

Here’s how it was reported yesterday:

Read More “A Glimmer of Hope in NY: Health Review Deadline Now Dec 3”

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo—someone who apparently has trouble deciding what to have for breakfast, let alone decide a major issue like whether or not to allow fracking—went on the record yesterday saying that the Nov. 29 deadline to release new drilling rules will not be met. Cuomo said the deadline for a new health review, yet another delay thought up by DEC Commissioner Joe Martens and being carried out by State Health Commissioner Nirav Shah, is “open-ended.” The so-called “impartial experts” Nirav Shah has hired to conduct an outside review are anything but impartial, and they’ve been given no firm deadline to turn in a  report.

Cuomo’s comments to reporters yesterday:

Read More “NY Gov. Cuomo Says Forget Fracking – At Least by Nov 29”

Many have marveled at the restraint shown by the Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY) on the issue of repeated delays and setbacks when it comes to allowing high volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) in New York State. Some have criticized the JLCNY for not being more vocal and more pushy with the governor and the Dept. of Environmental Conservation. Dan Fitzsimmons, president of the JLCNY, regularly takes arrows from both sides of the drilling issue and he walks a fine line—we wouldn’t want to be in his shoes!

Dan sent a letter yesterday, on behalf of the the 77,000 members of the JLCNY, to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and DEC Commissioner Joe Martens expressing, in strong but respectful language, the JLCNY’s disappointment that the Nov. 29 date to release new drilling rules will be missed (a full copy of the letter is embedded below).

Read More “JLCNY Sends Strongly-Worded Letter to Cuomo on Nov 29 Date”