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Coalition Letter Which Requests That Governor Cuomo Prohibit the Use of Gelled Propane, LPG and All Other "'Environmentally Friendly' or 'Green' Alternatives" Shale Fracking Methods Pending SEQR Review

We, the undersigned, respectfully write to request that you immediately require your Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to prohibit the use of "gelled propane," Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) and all other so-called "'environmentally friendly' or 'green' alternatives" hydraulic fracturing methods that have never been the subject of an Environmental Impact Analysis conducted pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR).

The use of propane, LPG and other hydraulic fracturing methods that do not involve water is referenced, but not comprehensively analyzed, in Section 9.3 of the Final SGEIS (Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement): “'Green' or Non-Chemical Fracturing Technologies and Additives."

See: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MS/2015-07-16/FSGEIS/Chapter-9/LPG

DEC concluded in its Final SGEIS:

"It is important to note that use of 'environmentally friendly' or 'green' alternatives may reduce, but not entirely eliminate, adverse environmental impacts."

DEC's Final SGEIS Findings Statement specifically rejects the use of an "environmentally-friendly chemical approach" for the same reasons that water-based high-volume hydraulic fracturing has been prohibited on a statewide basis:

"Based on unavoidable adverse environmental impacts and uncertainty regarding the science surrounding high-volume hydraulic fracturing and its potential impacts to public health and the environment, the Department finds that the best course of action is to select the No Action alternative. Selection of the No Action alternative means that the Department will not establish a high-volume hydraulic fracturing permitting program; that no individual or site-specific permit applications for wells using high-volume hydraulic fracturing will be processed; and that high-volume hydraulic fracturing will be prohibited in New York State (emphasis added).

The Department rejects the other available alternatives (the 'phased-permitting approach,' the 'environmentally-friendly chemical approach (emphasis added),' and the 'Special Places' alternative) because they all fail to limit unavoidable adverse environmental impacts and fail to address the risks and uncertainties of high-volume hydraulic fracturing (emphasis added)."

Nevertheless, DEC inexplicably failed to include gelled propane, LPG and all other "'environmentally friendly' or 'green' alternatives" within the definition of high-volume hydraulic fracturing adopted by the Final SGEIS Findings Statement.

DEC's high-volume hydraulic fracturing definition is limited only to "300,000 gallons or more of water:"

"1 High-volume hydraulic fracturing is defined as the stimulation of a well using 300,000 or more gallons of water (emphasis added) as the base fluid for hydraulic fracturing for all stages in a well completion, regardless of whether the well is vertical or directional, including horizontal. The 300,000-gallon threshold is the sum of all water (emphasis added), fresh and recycled, used for all stages in a well completion. Well stimulation requiring less than 300,000 gallons of water (emphasis added) as the base fluid for hydraulic fracturing for all stages in a well completion is not considered high-volume, and will continue to be reviewed and permitted pursuant to the 1992 GEIS, and 1992 and 1993 Findings Statements."

Conclusion

We request that you immediately require your DEC to prohibit the use of gelled propane, LPG and all other "'environmentally friendly' or 'green' alternatives" hydraulic fracturing methods that have never been the subject of an environmental impact analysis conducted pursuant to SEQR.

In addition, we request that New York adopt a high-volume hydraulic fracturing prohibition definition that includes all available "'environmentally friendly' or 'green' alternatives" for the same reasons that high-volume hydraulic fracturing using water has been barred on a statewide basis.

Finally, unless and until gelled propane, LPG and all other available "'environmentally friendly' or 'green' alternatives" non-water fracking methods are the subject of an environmental impact analysis conducted pursuant to SEQR, we request that their use not be permitted in New York either for conventional vertical gas or oil extraction wells or horizontal wells involving high-volume hydraulic fracturing.

We trust that you will find our request self-explanatory, but please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions that we might be able to address.

Thank you for your consideration.

Always respectfully,

Total Signatory Count: 968

Carole Marner
Comressor Free Franklin, Franklin Local, Ltd,
1245 Oak Hill Road
Franklin , NY
Robert Gosselink
205 Grandview Dr.
Cobleskill, New York
Hal s
205-B Garrtt Rd
Windsor, NY
David Mazzarella
607 Utica St.
Ithaca, N.Y.
Beth Cuddy
133 S. Hoopes Ave.
Auburn, NY
Lizanne Hart
278 6th Ave, #3
Brooklyn, New York
William Ethridge
MA; Geography and Environmental Planning
215 Bryant Ave
Ithaca, New York
Karen Butler
none
self
317 C. H. 40
Worcester, NY
Courtney Williams
92 McGUire Ave
Peekskill, NY
Peggy Bartels
Ban Unconventional Gas Extraction
Valley View Rd.
Clinton, New York
Anita Sterns
411 E. Glen Ave.
Syracuse, New York
Rev. M Yanish
Susan Mosher
W. Highland Dr.
Schenectady, New York
William Wakefield
P. O. Box 393
DeRuyter, New York
Sharon Kahkonen
4735 Williamee Road
Trumansburg, NY
Karin Bruton-Winterfeldt
Mrs.
88 Landing Park
Rochester, NY
B. Beth Cohen
1309 N. Cayuga St.
Ithaca, NY
Carol Heaton
Sierra Club
121 n. broadway, 22d
White plains, N.Y.
Peter Specker
611 N Aurora St
Ithaca, New York
Patricia Vendryes
Groton, NY
Carl Rosenstock
Program Leader
Social Security Administration
270 1st St, 1A
Brooklyn, New York
James Cella
24061 Depew Avenue
Douglaston, New York
Alice Ross
Ms.
377 skipperene rd
Narrowsburg, NY
Rona Armillas
Patricia Heaton
30 Buck Road
Lansing, NY
Beverly Waleur
8 Cline St.
Dolgeville, NY
Susan Straight
Toxics Targeting
5539 Bower Rd.
Trumansburg, NY
Peter Herman
503 Rhodes Road
Apalachin, NY - NEW YORK
Toby Lenihan
member
Common Ground
6319 Rt 82
Stanfordville, NY
Linda A. DeStefano
5031 Onondaga Rd.
Syracuse, New Yorki
Fiske Hanson
Ms.
16 Hotchkiss St.
Binghamton, NY - New York
Stanley Scobie
37 Oconnell Road
Binghamton, NY, 13903
Jackie Ferris
5064 State Route 247
Rushville, New York
Roger Jones
617 Engleville Rd
Sharon Springs, NY
Dennis Cook
40
Bridgeport, NY
Cora Yao
148504
120 Utica St
Ithaca, NY
Kevin Jones
44 Point of Woods Dr
Albany, NY
Michael Checa
Jeni DeMarco
9296 Scipio Rd
Nunda, NY
William Feldman
REALNYS
401 Highland Rd
Andes, NY
GERALD HEATON
510 COUNTY RD. 31
NORWICH, NY
Michael JAY
self
harold kugelmass
PO Box 264
Interlaken, NY
Bruce Dunn
Mr.
188 bell hill rd
morris, New York
Laura Glasner
7491 Modock Road
Victor, NY
Bette Ek
235 Prospect Hill Rd.
Horseheads, NY
Staci Nugent
242 Floral Ave
Ithaca, NY
Kimberly Benson
3702 Saddleback Rd
Canadaigua, NY
James Dean
Village Trustee
Village of Cooperstown New York
15 Delaware Street
Cooperstown, New York
Claudia Gorman
476 Poplar Hill Road
Unadilla, Ny

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