MDN In-depth: NYS Assembly Passes 12-Month Moratorium on Hydraulic Fracturing, Both Horizontal and Vertical
For the second year in a row, the New York State Assembly has passed a bill that would create a one-year moratorium on the practice of hydraulic fracturing in the state. But there’s a difference in this year’s bill. This new bill would stop all hydraulic fracturing—both horizontal AND vertical. Oy vey. Where does one begin with this?
It is MDN’s belief that most “rank and file” people who oppose Marcellus Shale drilling don’t really understand the science of it. They hear a few catch phrases about polluting water, or using too much water, or thousands of gallons of chemicals going into the ground. And vague threats that their drinking water is about to be permanently poisoned. And that’s about all they know or want to know. Their opposition is colored by their philosophy or worldview: big energy companies are evil and lie, burning hydrocarbons like oil and gas destroy the environment and cause dangerous levels of global warming, etc. Yes, this is an over-generalization and paints an entire movement with a very broad brush that does not apply to everyone who is against drilling. MDN is just saying this is the case “in general” or “on average.”
In an interesting development, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has sent along marching orders to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to complete the next version of the draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (dSGEIS)—the new guidelines to be used in drilling in the Marcellus Shale in New York—by July 1st. The previous deadline was a soft deadline issued by former Gov. David Paterson of “on or about June 1st.” The new deadline issued by Cuomo is July 1st—no waffling. Cuomo has also instructed the DEC to visit a well blowout site in Bradford County, PA to see what can be learned and incorporated into the final document from that accident.