Environmental Activism Press Coverage

NEW YORK -- Pressure on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo from both sides of his state's hydraulic fracturing fight flared up this week, with local groups and Binghamton Mayor Matthew Ryan having dialed up the heat with a letter to 1,000 Cuomo campaign contributors urging a ban.

The effor to hurt the Democratic governor where it counts -- in the pocketbook -- comes amid increasing lobbying from business groups in New York looking to win permits for the controversial drilling practice. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is now targeting the state in the run-up to this fall's elections and has plans for a number of ad buys in support of development.

Some anti-fracking environmental leaders are reaching out to Governor Andrew Cuomo's top campaign contributors to say unless drilling is safe everywhere, it is not safe anywhere.

Discussion of the possibility of sporadic drilling in the Southern Tier started on June 13, when the New York Times reported that the Cuomo Administration is pursuing a plan to allow drilling in communities that want it.

In an effort to take action before this possible proposal takes hold, local anti-fracking leaders have sent letters to Governor Cuomo's 1,000 biggest campaign contributors.

Another set of fracking opponents is trying to stop the controversial drilling technique by another strategy, reaching out to Governor Cuomo's supporters.

NORWICH - An advisory committee on natural gas has for the second time refused to push forward a landowner group's request that Chenango County endorse the New York State Department of Conservation's ability to safely harvest natural gas.

The Central New York Landowners Coalition, which is comprised of large swaths of leased land in Chenango County, some of it already producing natural gas, offered up a resolution for the committee's adoption at the end of last month and again on Tuesday.

Reaction to a story in this morning’s NY Times that the Cuomo Administration wants to move ahead with hydrofracking in selected Southern Tier and central NY counties and only where the local communities wants gas development, was harsh and swift among several Assembly Democrats who are pretty much opposed to the idea of drilling.

There is a new push to try to convince Governor Andrew Cuomo not to lift the moratorium on hydrofracking.

A letter is on its way to Governor Cuomo asking him to oppose test runs of hydraulic fracturing in the Southern Tier. As our Elyse Mickalonis tells us, Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan says the residents shouldn’t be treated as guinea pigs and more research needs to be done before fracking is allowed in New York.