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be inappropriate to make a decision to permit shale fracking in New York based on a Draft SGEIS that is too old and outdated to fulfill that purpose.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

Norma Kinney
400 County Rd.31
Norwich, NY
nancy miller
drac
James Bligh
Dorothy Maxwell
Ms.
496 Western Highway
Blauvelt, NY
Megan Deshaies
111 Academy Street
Manlius, NY
Alexander Doan
208 Van Cortlandt Park AVe
Yonkes, NY
Adele Nicholson
1 Maple Ave.
Lansing, NY
Sandra Keller
114 Stuart Avenue
Newark, NY
Elizabeth Hart
184 Garfield Pl., 4
Brooklyn, NY
Lucille Wiggin
Member
Environmental Board of Oneonta
80 Chestnut St.
Oneonta, NY
Leon Wiggin
member
ADK
80 Chestnut St
Oneonta, NY
MORTON TRACHTENBERG
251 Central Park West
New York, NY
Barbara Pichler
33 Devon Way
Hastings on Hudson, New York
vreni rod
Lisa Corsi
33 Lawrence street
Mount kisco, Ny
Jerry Rivers
Environmental Scientist
NACCE
8-Gombert place
Roosevelt, New York
Joan Schildwachter
Mrs.
11 WINTERBERRY CT
PEEKSKILL, New York
Carole Griffiths
jane swingle
Cathy Bair
6010 Cold Springs Road
Trumansburg, NY
elizabeth carle
8 britta lane
new city, ny
James Moser
125 North Shore Road
South New Berlin, NY
Fiona Mitchell
210
8 Sunset Drive
Bedford Hills, NY
David Fischer
533 18 St
Brooklyn, NY
Maureen Dill
Coordinator
Advocates for Morris
3221 State Highway 51
Morris, NY
ann mazzucco
10 joan dr
yonkers, ny
Janice Burton
Ms.
3058 Slaterville Rd
Brooktondale, NY
grace van hulsteyn
364 new turnpike rd
cochecton, new york
Carolyn O'Hara
Treasurer
Discalced Carmelite Nuns
89 Hiddenbrooke Drive
Beacon, NY
Jeanne Manecky
Family Event
58 Morningside Drive
Patterson, New York
barbara striley
2088 rt26 16b
endicott, New York
John Burke
74 laurel Av
Sea Cliff, NY
Mary-Ann Sievert
PO Box 1290
Carmel, New York
Mary Dowd
Sister
Eastern Province Ursulines of the Roman Union
39 Willow Drive
New Rochelle, NY 10805
Pirjo Frady
83 Moseman Avenue
Katonah, NY 10536
Anna Ward
104 Edgewood Dr.
Norwich, NY
JB Turner
Norwich, NY
Suzanne Milano
Ms
49 stormytown rd
Ossining, Ny
Paula Schmidt
Redemptoristine Nuns
89 Hiddenbrooke Dr
Beacon, New York
Mark Lipsy
3801 Hudson Manor Terrace #5A
Riverdale, NY
MONICA MAXWELL
PO BOX 354
GALWAY, NY
john bromberg
Noah Mayers
275 marlborough rd.
brooklyn, ny
Francine Anders
47 ward Street
Floral park, New York
Jan Quarles
7342 Wyers Point Rd
Ovid, NY
james ulrich
30 vansteenbergh la
shokan, ny
Paula Clair
162 Gallows Hill Road
Garrison, NY
Bruce Murray
PO Box 101 197 Bald RD
Brooktondale, New York
Jayne Goldstein
975 Park Avenue
New York, New York
Paul Moskowitz
2015 Hunterbrook Rd
Yorktown Hts, NY

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