New York

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Health Impacts | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Anti-Drilling Groups Demand Copy of DEC Health Study
December 19, 2012December 19, 2012

Just a few days in to a 30-day public comment period in New York State for revised fracking rules, a collection of the same old anti-drilling groups with the same old agenda (delay indefinitely in hopes of a ban) sent a letter to State Health Commissioner Nirav Shah and Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joseph Martens demanding an advance copy of the “health review study” being reviewed by three outside health experts.

The letter (full copy embedded below) says in part:

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New York | Statewide NY

NY Officials Make Plans to Use More Natural Gas
December 17, 2012December 17, 2012

MDN friend Andy Leahy, who writes excellent posts on his NYShaleGasNow.com blog, has done it again. He’s sniffed out documentation from the New York Public Service Commission which maps out a plan for the state to use more natural gas. You read that right! While NY is in the throes of debating whether or not to allow fracking, state officials are making official plans to use more of the very thing fracking would produce—abundantly and cheaply.

Andy points out the following on this quiet-but-profound policy shift:

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Public Opinion | Statewide NY

Drill in NY? Republicans Say Yes, Democrats Say No
December 14, 2012December 14, 2012

Quinnipiac University has been busy polling. First they released a new poll of Ohioans and their attitudes toward higher taxes for drilling in that state (see this MDN story), and a day later, they released a poll of New Yorkers asking them whether or not drilling should even be allowed in that state. The results (full copy embedded below) provide the most striking example yet that the entire drilling issue has become politicized in New York.

The poll results, released yesterday, show that 70% of New York’s Republicans support drilling for shale gas and oil (17% are opposed), while only 29% of Democrats support drilling (and 55% are opposed). Overall, the state remains pretty evenly split with 44% supporting drilling and 42% opposed to it.

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Broome County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Statewide NY

NY Attorney General Investigates Towns Who Won’t Ban Fracking
December 13, 2012December 13, 2012

The out-of-control New York State Attorney General’s office (Eric Schneiderman, AG) continues to be, well, out-of-control. We’ve just learned that in October Schneiderman’s office launched an ethics investigation against board members of several townships in Broome County, NY—board members who voted on a resolution that says, in essence, “We’ll wait for the DEC before we make any decisions about whether or not to allow fracking in the town.” Those resolutions are widely seen as pro-drilling, even though the language is neither pro- nor anti-drilling.

What makes the actions of AG Schneiderman’s office so outrageous is that he has not launched any investigations of board members for towns who have voted to illegally ban fracking, even though those board members have “conflicts of interest” by siding with the environmental groups who have contributed money and manpower to their campaigns! This action by Schneiderman’s office in targeting pro-drillers is detestable, arrogant, and (MDN would argue) an abuse of power. More details…

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Where to Submit Your Comments on NY’s Revised Fracking Regs
December 13, 2012December 13, 2012

The New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is now accepting comments on proposed revised new rules (click here to view the revised new rules). They will accept comments through Jan. 11, 2013.

The DEC is accepting comments both online and through mail. Here’s how to submit your comments:

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Air Quality | Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | New York | Statewide NY

7 States Threaten EPA Lawsuit over Methane Emissions
December 12, 2012December 12, 2012

An out-of-control New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is the ring leader for seven northeastern states who say they plan to sue the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to force the EPA to enforce even stricter air emissions rules (if such a thing is possible) to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas drilling. Earlier this year the EPA introduced far stricter rules that require drillers to install expensive new equipment to trap leaking (so-called “fugitive”) methane—perhaps driving some of them out of business in two years when the new rules are fully implemented.

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Chenango County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation

Oxford, NY Tables Consideration of Fracking Moratorium
December 12, 2012December 12, 2012

Village leaders for Oxford (Chenango County, NY) tabled consideration of a fracking moratorium at a contentious meeting last night:

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Westchester County

Westchester County, NY Bans Fracking Wastewater
December 12, 2012December 12, 2012

The Westchester County Board of Legislators voted on Monday (unanimously) to ban fracking fluids from the county. The ban specifically disallows treatment of fracking fluid wastewater in municipal treatment plants (already illegal under DEC rules) and a ban on using the salt from fracking wastewater to treat roadways during the winter.

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY Begins 30-Day Public Comment Period Wednesday
December 11, 2012December 11, 2012

The starter pistol is ready to be fired. On Wednesday, the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation will begin a 30-day public comment period as part of a 90-day extension on proposed new rules to allow hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for horizontal drilling in the state.

Both sides of the drilling debate are pulling out the big guns to try and influence the outcome:

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Chenango County | Industrywide Issues | Landowner Coalition News | Litigation | New York

CNY Landowners Establish Legal Fund to Sue Towns with Bans
December 11, 2012December 11, 2012

Landowners in the central New York area are tired of having their property rights trampled by a few of their discontented (and misguided) neighbors. When two of three town board members vote to institute a ban or moratorium, it strips away the rights of all landowners in the town and devalues their property, making it all but impossible for them to sign leases for potential future natural gas drilling.

The CNY Landowner’s Coalition (Central New York) has established a fund to help with attorneys fees to defend their property rights against what they consider to be an illegal seizure of their property rights by some towns. First up is to defend their rights against a misguided moratorium in Oxford (Chenango County, NY). Note to Oxford town board members and residents: prepare to spend big bucks to defend a permanent moratorium if you pass one. It’s not a threat—it’s a promise.

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Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Norse Energy | Regulation | Statewide NY

Norse Energy Hurt by NY Fracking Delay Files for Bankruptcy
December 10, 2012December 10, 2012

Contrary to what anti-drillers say, lack of drilling in New York does have serious consequences—the latest consequence being the bankruptcy of Norse Energy Corp. MDN has reported over the past several years on Norse, the “little energy company that could” (we had hoped) hang on until New York released new shale drilling rules. But New York’s moratorium has now stretched on nearly 4 1/2 years and frankly, there’s no end in sight.

In mid-November Norse issued a press release saying they would run out of money in December unless they could restructure their debt (see this MDN story). They only had $1.5 million cash on hand at the time. Then, a few weeks later, a judge ordered Norse to put $7.65 million into an escrow account to cover potential losses in a dispute (see this Norse press release). Apparently the escrow judgment pushed Norse over the financial cliff. They’ve now filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection:

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY Landowner Group Ramps up Calls/Letter Campaign to Cuomo
December 10, 2012December 10, 2012

The Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY) launched a new round of phone calls and a letter-writing campaign to encourage Gov. Andrew Cuomo to not delay any further the release of new fracking rules for New York. The JLCNY wants its members and supporters to call and print and mail a draft letter (embedded below).

MDN received the following notice on Saturday:

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Broome County | Health Impacts | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Research | Statewide NY

Lupardo to Martens: What Happened to the NY Fracking Panel?
December 7, 2012December 7, 2012

Binghamton, NY-area Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, a Democrat who so far has been somewhat non-committal on the fracking debate, but who seems to now tilt firmly in the anti-drilling camp, sent a letter to Dept. of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens two days ago. Her letter essentially asks, “What happened to the fracking panel you appointed?” Lupardo is one of the members of the High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing Advisory Panel, a group appointed by Martens in July 2011. The panel has not held any meetings since December of last year (see this MDN story).

Lupardo wants the panel to meet again so she can go on the record with her “concerns” about fracking and the health review under way now (see her letter to Martens below).

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Broome County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Cuomo Visits Binghamton, (Non)Comments on Fracking Decision
December 6, 2012December 6, 2012

Gov. Andrew Cuomo visited New York’s Southern Tier region yesterday—specifically Binghamton—to get a first-hand update on the Southern Tier’s economic development plan. (Short version: our local economy is and has been in the crapper for years.) Gov. Andy was greeted by anti-drilling and some pro-drilling protesters. During a press conference, he was asked by reporters to comment on whether and when fracking would come to the state. His answer was non-committal—he’s a good politician that way.

Here’s what he did, and did not, say:

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Lawyer Tom West Sees Light at End of NY’s Fracking Tunnel
December 6, 2012December 6, 2012

Albany-area lawyer Tom West addressed the annual meeting of the New York State Association of General Contractors. He gave them his latest thinking on whether, and when, fracking may begin in New York. Why does Tom West’s opinion matter? He’s the lead attorney for two cases working their way through the court system now, both cases dealing with the right (or non-right) of local municipalities to outright ban shale gas drilling in their communities.

Tom has a better insight than most into what’s happening with fracking in New York. And he sees a teeny, tiny light at the end of a very long tunnel…

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Public Opinion | Statewide NY

Siena Poll: NY Residents Unchanged, Majority Support Fracking
December 6, 2012December 6, 2012

According to the latest periodic Siena College Research Institute Poll, the trend that started in the previous poll showing a clear majority of New Yorker’s supporting fracking has continued in the most recent poll. In a poll taken Nov. 26-29, 42% of New Yorkers support fracking vs. 36% who oppose it. Those numbers are identical to the poll taken Oct. 22-24 (see this MDN story).

However, if you think that’s the end of the story, you would be wrong. A longer term trend we see in the underlying numbers is that there is stronger support for fracking in both in New York City and the suburbs of NYC than in upstate. In October, 43% of upstaters polled supported fracking vs. 41% who opposed it. In November, 39% of upstaters supported fracking vs. 45% who opposed it. Why the swing against fracking with upstaters?

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