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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today officially prohibited high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) in New York State by issuing its formal Findings Statement, completing the state’s seven-year review.
The Findings Statement concludes that there are no feasible or prudent alternatives that adequately avoid or minimize adverse environmental impacts and address risks to public health from what is known in the industry as fracking.
“After years of exhaustive research and examination of the science and facts, prohibiting high-volume hydraulic fracturing is the only reasonable alternative,” DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said in a statement to the press. “High-volume hydraulic fracturing poses significant adverse impacts to land, air, water, natural resources and potential significant public health impacts that cannot be adequately mitigated. This decision is consistent with DEC’s mission to conserve, improve and protect our state’s natural resources, and to enhance the health, safety and welfare of the people of the state.”
DEC based the Findings Statement on research included in the Final Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (FSGEIS) released last month. The FSGEIS included public comment and the state Department of Health’s Public Health Review, which concluded there is considerable uncertainty as to potential health impacts from HVHF and that HVHF should not move forward in New York State.
The Findings Statement details the potential impacts from the HVHF process, including impacts to water and air resources, ecosystems and wildlife, community character and public health.
For a copy of the Findings Statement, visit DEC’s website.
Illustration courtesy Wikipedia user .
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Just farther down the drain for New York.When will it end? Thanks governor .
Here is what the State says:
“DOH’s review found significant uncertainties about: the adverse health outcomes that may be associated with HVHF; the likelihood of occurrence of adverse health outcomes; and the adequacy of mitigation measures to protect public health. DOH’s report concludes that it will be years until science and research provide sufficient information to determine the level of risk HVHF poses to public health and whether those risks can be adequately mitigated. Given the red flags raised by current studies, absent conclusive studies that disprove health concerns, the report states the activity should not proceed in New York State.”
They don’t know. I think it should not “proceed” because it could harm economic activity in the Finger Lakes. This is different than PA. But this report is a scam.
Fifty years from now that generation will see the wisdom in this decision. Pennsylvania will be an industrial wasteland by then and all of these gas people nowadays whose favorite word is “jobs’ will be dead and who,while they were alive,did not give one hoot about all the damage their fracking process created,all of the pollution.By then Pennsylvanians will be in want of clean water and one good trout to be found on the end of a hook. They’ll be wanting to move to New York by then.
The gas people will never be happy until they exploit every last natural resource on this earth. They have no idea what it is like to be one with the earth. A tree to them is “In the way.” Every other week in the news that minority is still going on like whining plutocrats trying to convince gullible’s that fracking is safe and “jobs” have been lost and “We’re gonna continue fighting because we’re not used to losing and we’ll be darned if we’re going to be let down after all of the money we spent trying to bribe your erected officials.”
I’m for the underdog but not for wretched fools who would sell their souls for a dollar …..a temporary happiness is all they will ever know. I’m for salamanders and frogs and trees and crickets. I’ll take stone and clay and mud and dirt before i’ll take yet another ugly shopping center going over them. I’m an earthy kinda guy I suppose and I must admit there’s this sinister nature in me that snickers at the thought of ulcers building up and sleep being deprived in these capitalist pig gas people who finally,in this rare case,lost a round!