March 3, 2011

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224

Dear Governor Cuomo:

You recently received a coalition letter requesting you to expand the scope of your Department of Environmental Conservation’s Marcellus Shale draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement in order to fulfill the requirements of Executive Order No. 41. As you know, the draft SGEIS has received intense criticism, notably from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.

December 30, 2010

Honorable David A. Paterson
Governor, State of New York
The Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

Dear Governor Paterson:

I write to thank you very much for signing Executive Order No. 41 regarding Marcellus Shale gas. I also request you to take several actions before leaving office to make sure that its goals can be achieved.

You have required the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to:

Peter M. Iwanowicz
Acting Commissioner
Department of Environmental Conservation
Deputy Secretary for the Environment
Office of Governor David A. Paterson
State Capitol, Room 245
Albany, NY 12224

Greetings:

You recently asked me whether the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) had responded to my 4/2/09 letter regarding disclosure of extensive natural gas incident data I obtained from the Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany County Health Departments. Those counties are where the majority of active vertical gas wells have been drilled in New York. I wrote you that I have yet to receive a reply.

Based on those incidents and many other government-documented environmental and public health hazards associated with natural gas activities, I write to refute the assertion in Governor Paterson's Executive Order #41 that:

"low-volume hydraulic fracturing, or conventional fracking, has been used successfully and safely in New York State for many years to extract natural gas consistent with the Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) for Oil, Gas and Solution Mining Regulatory Program promulgated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (Department) in 1992,"

The gas industry reported that vertical gas wells in New York have been routinely fracked for decades. That is why I believe it is beyond dispute that Executive Order #41 is in error regarding this matter.

Honorable David A. Paterson
Governor, State of New York
The Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

Dear Governor Paterson:

I write to provide a coalition letter that requests you to withdraw your Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) draft Marcellus Shale Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (draft SGEIS) before you leave office.

See: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/urgent_letter

December 1, 2010

Honorable David A. Paterson
Governor, State of New York
The Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

Dear Governor Paterson:

We, the undersigned, are among the more than 10,000 signatories to a coalition letter that requests you to withdraw your Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Marcellus Shale Horizontal Hydrofracturing (draft SGEIS). For the good of all New Yorkers, we respectfully write to urge you in the strongest terms to withdraw the draft SGEIS before you leave office.

September 23, 2010

Honorable David A. Paterson
Governor, State of New York
The Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

Dear Governor Paterson:

I trust you have been well since I last wrote to you.

I sent you a coalition letter on December 28, 2009 requesting that you withdraw your Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Marcellus Shale Horizontal Hydrofracturing (draft SGEIS). I write today to reiterate that request and to inform you that the letter has achieved its goal of gaining more than 10,000 signatories. See: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/coalition_letter

With all respect, the signatories trust that you acted in good faith when you imposed a de facto moratorium on Marcellus Shale Horizontal Hydrofracturing pending adoption of a Final SGEIS. The scope of that proceeding was inadequate, however, and the resulting draft SGEIS has received withering criticism. Please withdraw the draft SGEIS for the good of all New Yorkers.

Unprecedented Coalition Letter

Citizens, elected officials, business leaders as well as local, state and national environmental groups have all signed the coalition letter. It provides detailed documentation of 270 fires, explosions, polluted water supply wells, unremediated drilling wastewater spills and homes evacuated due to natural gas and oil mining activities across New York.

September 20, 2010

Honorable Andrew Cuomo
Cuomo 2010
Church Street Station
P.O. Box 683
New York, NY 10008

Dear Mr. Cuomo:

Thank you for taking the time to visit Ithaca on August 19th. I am sorry we were not able to discuss my Marcellus Shale Horizontal Hydrofracturing (MS HH) concerns in person. Please let me know if you would like to schedule a meeting at your convenience.

April 2, 2010

Honorable Alexander Grannis
Commissioner
Department of Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway
Albany, New York 12233-0001

Dear Commissioner:

I trust you have been well since we last spoke. I respectfully write today regarding a matter that warrants your immediate, urgent attention.