Red Letter Day!!! Landmark Editorial in The New York Times Echoes Our DOH "Review" Concerns and Requests

Ask Big Green Groups to become signatories to a coalition letter which requests that Governor Cuomo halt his secret DOH "review:"
http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/documents/2014-11-07/big-greens-contact-info

Greetings,

I am thrilled to report that The New York Times just published an extraordinarily important editorial which echoes our concerns and requests regarding Governor Cuomo's infamous Department of Health (DOH) "review."

The timing of this editorial is perfect. It provides a tremendous boost in the battle we have waged for nearly two years to make sure that the Governor cannot complete his sham DOH "review" and greenlight shale fracking in New York by adopting a Final Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS).

As you know, no Final SGEIS can be adopted until after the DOH "review" is completed. Until both those steps are taken, New York's shale fracking moratorium continues in full-force.

The New York Times Landmark Fracking Editorial Comes in the Nick of Time

I invite you to read the "Round Two for Gov. Cuomo" editorial: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/news/2014-11-09/round-two-for-cuomo

As you can see highlighted below, the editorial's three intricate sentences echo exactly what we have been fighting for.

"The decision on whether to authorize hydraulic fracturing for extracting natural gas along the state’s southern tier has been on hold pending a State Health Department study of the effects on the environment and human health."

"The study is due by the end of the year, and some environmentalists say there has been very little public input."

"The governor will make enemies no matter what direction he moves in, but before moving at all he should insist on a comprehensive and credible analysis."

We Must Take Full Advantage of This Powerful Editorial

Governor Cuomo cannot ignore this powerful editorial in "the newspaper of record." We must use it to hammer home that his secret DOH "review" is simply not a "comprehensive and credible analysis."

Governor Cuomo has endured intense criticism because his DOH is merely conducting a "review" of the "health impact analysis" in the Final Draft SGEIS which is more than five years old and lacks any current scientific data.

That is why more than 10,000 signatories to various coalition letters request that the Governor halt his secret DOH "review" as well as his outdated Draft SGEIS and require a comprehensive "Public Health Impact Study" to be conducted openly, transparently and with full public participation to resolve shale fracking hazard concerns once and for all.

That study would constitute the "comprehensive and credible analysis" which The New York Times Editorial Board called for.

Call and Email Big Green Groups Today. Request That They Become Signatories to the Coalition Letter Which Calls for the DOH "Review" to be Halted

Against that backdrop, Big Green groups have steadfastly refused for two years to demand that the secret DOH "review" to be halted. Last June, a group of prominent Fractivists wrote to request that major environmental groups become signatories to the latest coalition letter which asks Governor Cuomo to halt his DOH "review."

Not one group responded favorably.

I invite you to read the Fractivists' respectful letter: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/sites/default/files/letter_140919.pdf

No Excuses Allowed: DOH "Review" Must be Halted

In light of The New York Times editorial, Big Green groups must not be allowed to duck the critical issue of halting the DOH "review" as Andrew Cuomo tries to complete his bogus, secret, inadequate "review" in the coming weeks.

Please note that it is not enough for groups to support a proper health impact study. The critical "ask" is that Big Green groups must demand that the Governor HALT his DOH "review" and require the comprehensive Public Health Impact Study to be undertaken.

It is now or never. Please call and email Big Green Groups to ask that they become signatories to the coalition letter which calls for the DOH "review" to be halted.

See their contact information: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/documents/2014-11-07/big-greens-contact-info

It is hard to imagine that any group would be opposed to the substance of the coalition letter: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/letters/2014/6/23/coalition-letter-withdraw-sgeis

If you get the runaround or lame excuses, you can refuse to contribute financially if you are a member or a funder. Please do not accept "no" for an answer.

Conclusion

Major environmental groups which purport to "stand with the grassroots" have inexplicably refused to become signatories to a coalition letter that enjoys massive Fractivist support and is totally consistent with The New York Times' landmark editorial on the DOH "review."

I implore you to do your best to change their minds so that we can stand together as a united front.

Please bcc me on your missives.

In closing, I wish to commend the signatories to the Fractivists letter. Many thanks to Matt Ryan, former Binghamton Mayor, Adelaide P. Gomer, Dr. Benjamin Perkus, President of NYRAD (New York Residents Against Drilling), Erin Heaton-Meyer of C-Care (Chenango Community Action for Renewable Energy) and Terrence Cuddy of CAFA (Cayuga Anti-Fracking Alliance).

Your courageous efforts have been validated by the Editorial Board of The New York Times. As they say, that is not chopped liver. Nice job. Congrats.

Onward and upward.

Very best regards,

Walter

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