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Governor Cuomo: Please withdraw the Marcellus Shale Draft SGEIS because it is nearly five years old, lacks any current information and would inadequately protect New York from fracking hazards

We, the undersigned, write respectfully to request that you withdraw the Marcellus Shale Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS) because it is nearly five years old, lacks any current information whatsoever and would inadequately protect New York from fracking hazards.

In 2008, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) decided not to permit shale fracking until a Final SGEIS was adopted to safeguard public health and the environment. That de facto moratorium has prevented even one shale gas production well from ever being fracked in our state.

The original Draft SGEIS was proposed in 2009 and is based on a Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) adopted nearly 22 years ago. The Draft SGEIS is based on a scoping proceeding undertaken six years ago. A Revised Draft SGEIS was released nearly three years ago and has never been updated.

Given the long delay in adopting the Draft SGEIS, it lacks any current information. As a result, it fails to assess hundreds of recent investigations, studies and reports that have significantly expanded the scientific understanding of shale fracking’s pollution impacts.

Most importantly, the “health impact analysis” in the Draft SGEIS reflects information that is nearly five years old. That is ancient by scientific investigation standards.

Given these shortcomings, it would be inappropriate to make a decision to permit shale fracking in New York based on a Draft SGEIS that is too old and outdated to fulfill that purpose.

That is why we respectfully request that you:

a) Withdraw the Draft SGEIS;

b) Halt your State Department of Health (DOH) “review” of the dated “health impact analysis” in the Draft SGEIS;

c) Instruct your DOH to undertake a comprehensive shale fracking “Public Health Impact Study” openly and transparently using all available current data;

d) Require DOH and DEC to utilize the findings of the “Public Health Impact Study” to propose and adopt a new Generic Environmental Impact Statement. That is precisely what the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended in 2009. See: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/sites/default/files/Marcellus_dSGEIS_Comment_Letter_plus_Enclosure_0.pdf

Against that background, New York has an unprecedented opportunity to eliminate the fossil fuel extraction hazards that have plagued our state for nearly 200 years. Only one natural gas well was drilled and “completed” for production in New York during all of 2013, the most recent year for which DEC permitting information is publicly available.

According to DEC's data, statewide natural gas production has now fallen to the level of 25 years ago. New York’s natural gas production plunged from 54,916 million cubic feet (mmcf) in 2007 to 26,424 mmcf in 2012. That is a 52% decline. The recent natural gas boom has essentially gone bust.

DEC’s data also document that oil production in New York has plummeted for 70 years and recently reached the lowest production levels in a century. All the oil extracted in New York in a day would not even fill one backyard swimming pool.

See: http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/12anrpt.pdf

To achieve the goal of protecting New Yorkers from fossil fuel extraction hazards, we request that you halt improper gas/oil wastewater disposal practices involving landspreading as well as brine pit dumping and adopt strict toxic clean up liability, private right of legal action and financial surety requirements to allow citizens to protect themselves in the absence of strict regulatory oversight.

Until this comprehensive plan of action has been implemented, we request that New York’s shale fracking moratorium remain in full effect.

Thank you for considering our respectful request. We look forward to receiving your prompt reply.

Very best regards,

Total Signatory Count: 2214

clark Rhoades
Membeer
Concerned Worcester Citizens
464 County Hwy, 40
Worcester, NY
Margaret Smith-Burke
141 Wooster St. Apt 8B
New York, NY 10012
Marybeth Medernach
3738B Peas Eddy Rd.
Hancock, NY
henrietta statham
581 rathbun hill road
East Meredtih, ny
Mary Jane Uttech
2290 SR 221
Marathon, NY
Hugh Kimball
8223 Dexter Parkway
Baldwinsville, New York
Rodney Glasspoole
30 E Main
Angelica, NY
Denise Eddy
1324 Hawleyton Road
Binghamton, New York
grant van sant
5858 state route 41
Homer, NY
Elaine Hardman
156
3180 Riverside Drive
Wellsville, NY
Eileen Murphy
Select...
208 Pottery Lane
Cooperstown, New York
Sharye Skinner
4522 Syracuse Rd
Caz, NY
Conrad Strozik
President
Central NY Chapter, Izaak Walton League
2582 Pompey Hollow Rd
Cazenovia, NY
Patricia Beetle
Ms.
1379 Sunset Rd.
Castleton., New York
Anne Posel
324 Mitchell Street
Ithaca, New York
Annemarie Hosnedl
274 River St.
Oneonta, New York
Sam Sebren
PO Box 131
Athens, NY
Anne F. Kriz
Social Justice and Outreach Committee Chair
Church of the Assumption, Fairport New York
5886 Allen-Padgham Road
Farmington, New York
Nancy Reynolds
405 Hattie Clark Road
Greene, New York
Gerard Cook
Barbara Nichols
623 Hattie Clark Rd
Greene, New York
Claire Stoscheck
207 W. Clinton St.
Ithaca, NY
Marc Dennis
Professor
Ithaca, NY
Robin Ostfeld
owner
Blue Heron Farm
1641 Shaw Rd.
Lodi, NY
Bruce Myers
President, PLA, Chenango County Democrat Committee
Petonia Lake Association
161 Triphammer rd
GREENE, New York
Suzanne Johnson
529 Prospect valley road
willseyville, NY
Elizabeth Cobb
136 Crescent PL
Ithaca, NY
Les Monostory
V.P.
Izaak Walton CNY Chapter
125 Euclid Drive
Fayetteville, New York
Aggie Lane
member
The Partnership for Onondaga Creek
340 Midland Avenue
Syracuse, NY
Linda Couchon
Scott Teel
710 N. Cayuga St., Apt. 3
Ithaca, NY
Paul Robillard
Exutive Director
World Water Watch
3300 NW 185th, #175
Portland, Oregon
Thomas Luescher
81 Parkview Drive
Grand Island, NY
Mary Beilby
Cortland
New York (NY), NY
Thea Fry
4 Lyon Ridge Road
Katonah, NY
Christine Niskanen
Sierra Club
39 Matthews St.
Binghamton, NY
Anne Haas
1957 County Rd 3
Olivebridge, NY
James Gates
1270 County Highway 33
Cooperstown, NY
Patricia Hansen
RAFT Residents against fracking Tioga
180 Front St.
Owego, NY
Jill Joseph
524 Windwood road
Baltimore, MD
Robert Nichols
75 state street
Skaneateles, Ny
Pam Mackesey
323 Pleasant St.
Ithaca, NY
Eduardo Richi
23 Melrose Avenue
New Windsor, New York
William Jacoby
Mr
22 Rte. 23
Claverack, New York
Julia Pietruszewski
Sierra Club Life Member
19 Gallagher Lane
Pleasant Vallley, NY
Irene Rocha
PO Box 435
Kerhonkson, NY
David Kowalski
Founder
Re-ENERGIZE Buffalo
166 Burbank Dr.
Buffalo, New York
Ronaldo Gonzalez
56 Sterling Street
Beacon, NY
Charlene Dye
none
none
45 No. Chestnut St #211
New Paltz, NY
Christa Bissell
137 Pine Tree Rd
Ithaca, NY

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