Statewide NY

It’s D-Day (Decision Day) in New York. Today, Feb. 27, is the final day for the Dept. of Environmental Conservation to release new fracking rules or the process is once again delayed—by at least 45 days and likely much longer. What can we expect? Nothing. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proven he’s indecisive and and not worthy to lead the state, let alone pursue “higher office.” The Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY) is gearing  up for a major lawsuit to sue the state for illegal de facto “takings” of its citizens’ private property. If the state is going to deny landowners the right to allow drilling amidst overwhelming evidence it’s safe, the state will have to pay them the equivalent amount of money they would have made by leasing and drilling (certainly billions, maybe trillions?). Hello bankruptcy for New York.

The only thing MDN sees that might postpone a lawsuit by the 77,000-member JLCNY is if DEC Commissioner Joe Martens were to issue a few provisional permits to drill—and issue them today—as a sign of good faith that the state really is serious about completing and adopting new fracking rules. Will that happen? “Not bloody likely” as our Brit friends say…

Read More “Feb. 27: (In)Decision Day for Gov. Cuomo and Fracking in NY”

Wonders never cease. The Associated Press has actually written an article about the true costs of what “just a few more weeks of delay” in New York State really means to the state’s landowners—how it’s crushing them. The article looks at three struggling landowners—people who need New York to get off the dime and allow drilling to move forward. It begins this way:

Read More “Big News: AP Writes Story About How NY’s Delays Hurt Landowners”

The Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY) is putting out the word to its 77,000 members to contact Gov. Andrew Cuomo and let him know that a) they vote, and b) they won’t forget if he doesn’t allow fracking to move forward now, by the end of February. They’re encouraging members to print out and send him a couple of form letters (see them below), as well as call the governor’s office—repeatedly. This is a “numbers game” now according the JLCNY. They want to roar so Gov. Ditherer hears it loud and clear.

Here’s the email MDN received from the JLCNY announcing their latest initiative:

Read More “NY Landowner Group Asks Members to Flood Cuomo with Letters/Calls”

Last week New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens dropped a bombshell. He said even if new fracking rules are not officially adopted, he has the power to move forward with issuing permits for horizontal shale drilling/fracking (see Deadline for NY Fracking Regs Slips Again…Or Does It?). Was Martens being truthful? Is he mistaken? Or is he simply trying to get landowners to hold off on filing a lawsuit for “takings” that, if successful, might bankrupt the state over their illegal actions? Martens’ comments from last week are an ongoing source of debate and speculation. What, exactly, did he mean? Can he really do that?

Read More “What Did Martens Mean – Issuing NY Permits Ahead of New Rules?”

New York State is drama central when it comes to whether or not shale drilling will happen. The big drama is whether the dithering Andrew Cuomo will finally make a decision and stick to it—he’s been called “Hamlet on the Shale” for his indecisiveness by no less than the New York Times. The second biggest drilling-related drama concerns where drilling will happen and whether or not local municipalities can control it. A pair of court cases heads for a hearing in March to help determine that.

As MDN has covered ad nauseam in the past, the town of Dryden (in Tompkins County) and Middlefield (in Otsego County) were sued to overturn their bans on the practice of hydraulic fracturing. Those court cases will be heard in March at the Appellate Court level. The New York State Association of Towns filed an “Amicus Brief” (“friend of the court” brief) supporting the two towns’ right to ban fracking. However, a group of towns in the Southern Tier of New York have filed their own letter with the Appellate Court that says in essence, “Wait a minute, NYSAT doesn’t speak for us!”

Read More “Some NY Towns Want Fracking, Association Doesn’t Speak for Them”

No one likes to admit they were wrong, I know I don’t. Although MDN has attitude and edginess in its reporting (it is a blog/news site), I always try to be accurate and fair with the facts.

I ran what I consider to be a very important story on Friday about the potential locations of the first Marcellus and Utica wells to be drilled in New York when and if drilling begins (see Exclusive: First NY Marcellus Wells to be Drilled are Identified). There’s a decent chance I was wrong. Let me explain…

Read More “MDN Editor Jim Willis Corrects “First NY Marcellus Wells” Story”

It’s painfully obvious the reason New York is not moving forward with hydraulic fracturing is because of its governor, Andrew Cuomo. He’s the man the New York Times says “is becoming Hamlet on the Shale,” meaning he’s dithering and indecisive. Not good qualities to have if you’re a political leader seeking the highest office in the country.

Yesterday, Cuomo continued his pathetic excuses about why there’s an ongoing delay with fracking in New York State. Also yesterday, the group representing 77,000 landowners with more than a million acres of land to lease fired back at the DEC’s latest delay. Plus, we have a bit more insight from a pro-fracking lawyer about Joe Martens’ mysterious statement of moving forward with permits even without new regulations. Read on…

Read More “NY Frack Update: Cuomo Dithers, Landowners Mad, Lawyer Explains”