SLPWA pens letter to Governor on fracking

In a letter to Governor Cuomo dated August 8, 2012, SLPWA urged the governor to “get it right” by not allowing high volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) for natural gas in New York State until:(1) A comprehensive health assessment of the impact of HVHF on the residents of the Empire State has been carried out and shared with the public;(2) There are proven disposal or remediation processes in place to deal properly with the solid and liquid wastes generated by HVHF;(3) The greenhouse gas footprint of the total process is lower than that of competing fossil fuel footprints through control of emissions throughout the total commercialization process;(4) A robust regulatory process with adequately trained staff is in place within the DEC to control the environmental impact process;(5) The results from the EPA study of HVHF and its impact on drinking water supplies is completed and the results have undergone the scientific scrutiny of peer review.(6) There is a “fiscally neutral” set of regulations in place far as the average taxpayers are concerned regarding who pays for environmental and infrastructure remediation that will be necessary to repair the damage done by HVHF to New York State’s air, water, emergency response systems, roads etc.Citing recent newspaper articles related to the issue of HVHF by Thomas Friedman (New York Times) and Fred LeBrun (Albany Times Union), the SLPWA letter points out that the state is not in a position yet to regulate this process in an environmentally and fiscally responsible manner.This letter was written now since there are indications that the Governor is close to making a decision on HVHF for New York state without having adequately addressed the major issues listed in the letter.The 30-year old Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association (www.senecalake.org) , is dedicated to “enhancing and preserving the quality of Seneca Lake”, as are 8 other sister organizations, each committed to their respective Finger Lake. These associations are allied under the banner of the Finger Lakes Regional Watershed Alliance (www.flrwa.org) and are committed to protecting the quality of these lakes.The SLPWA website at http://www.senecalake.org/ has the complete letter to the Governor as well as current information about its activities and complete comments on the dSGEIS and regulations.