What impact will Hydraulic Fracturing in the Marcellus Shale have on our Water, Environment and Economy?

On Monday I attended the Federation of Monroe County Environmentalists (FMCE) public forum on Hydraulic Fracturing in the Marcellus Shale, and what effect this natural gas drilling could have on our region. Concerned citizens filled the meeting room and overflowed out into the hallway of the Brighton Town Hall. This is a critical issue for the Green Party and one that we want everyone to be more aware of.

The Green Party of Pennsylvania statement on Marcellus Shale gas drilling:
http://www.gpofpa.org/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=17

DEC public hearing schedule http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/58705.html

Submit your comments to DEC by November 30th at http://www.dec.ny.gov/cfmx/extapps/SGEISComments/comment/index.cfm.

Description:

Wes Gillingham - Program Director of Catskill Mountain Keeper, http://catskillmountainkeeper.org

Dr. Diane Hope - William A. Kern Professor in Communication, Rochester Institute of Technology http://www.rit.edu/cla/communication/kern/

Ashur Terwilliger - Chemung County Farm Bureau President

Dr. Ron Bishop, lecturer in chemistry and biochemistry at SUNY Oneonta.

Follow up meeting scheduled for Monday, October 26, 2009

http://fmce.org/meetings.html

Forum materials:
Article: Facts to consider about drilling in the Marcellus Shale
Article: What can we learn from Pennsylvania's experience drilling in shale?
Forum Handout: Reference/Action Sheet provided at the Oct 19, 2009 NYS Natural Gas Public Forum

http://essentialdissent.blogspot.com/2009/06/marcellus-shale-gas-drilling-and-water.html Three-part video from 6/22/2009 Forum in Bath

http://wamu.org/programs/dr/09/09/23.php#27499 Diane Rehm Show 10/23/2009 (Be sure to listen to the whole hour to hear the full spectrum of the issue.)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113142234 NPR article September 23, 2009 focused on the water contamination questions

http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/46288.html DEC Marcellus Shale Fact Sheet

http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/47554.html DEC Draft Rules regarding Drilling - released 9/30 - public comments accepted through Nov 30, 2009. http://www.propublica.org/feature/new-york-state-paves-way-for-gas-drilling-with-release-of-review-930 Analysis of the new DEC Draft Rules by ProPublica.