WBGH

From Walter Hang:

Binghamton Mayor Matthew T. Ryan and local citizen activists will hold a news conference to release a letter sent to Governor Cuomo which requests that State Health Commissioner Dr. Nirav R. Shaw immediately undertake a “Public Health Impact Study” of High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing in order to fulfill sweeping requirements announced by the Cuomo Administration on 9/20/12. Until that Study is completed, the letter requests that New York’s shale gas extraction moratorium remain in effect.

There should be public participation allowed into New York State's health assessment on fracking.

That's according to a group of scientists, doctors, politicians, farmers and other residents. They have sent a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo asking him to put the State Health Department's review on-hold. Walter Hang, of Ithaca based Toxics Targeting, says the review needs to have formal written notice of what it involves. He also says it should allow for 30 days of public review and comment. And, there should be at least one public hearing.

Walter Hang says, "The final SGEIS must not be adopted, that entire proceeding has to be put on hold until these public participation requirements are completed. The last thing is we want to make sure that critical concerns that have been excluded from the proceeding are addressed."

Hang says those include the state not adequately addressing 650,000 known and potential toxic sites. And, thousands of abandoned gas and oil wells. Toxics Targeting has created an interactive map where you can see those areas of concern. It can be found at maps.toxicstargeting.com.

From Walter Hang:

Binghamton Mayor Matthew Ryan and representatives of a statewide coalition of environmental, civic and good-government groups as well as scientists, physicians, farmers, artists and local business owners will announce the launching of a campaign calling for formal public participation and major revisions to the New York State Department of Health's Review of the Public Health Impact of High Volume, Hydraulic Fracturing.

Binghamton Matt Ryan was on the offensive today after what he calls erroneous claims made by a pro-drilling agency.

Back on Monday, Matt Ryan attended a meeting hosted by the New York State Petroleum Council. He, like all other elected officials in Broome and Tioga counties, were invited. He also brought a guest, Walter Hang of Toxics Targeting. Hang has helped lead the charge against allowing fracking in New York State.

Towards the end of the forum, Ryan and Hang raised their concerns about fracking during a question and answer period. An article posted by the organization Energy In Depth said that Ryan was not invited and crashed the forum. Ryan says that's clearly false and takes exception to it.

Walter Hang of Toxics Targeting helped organize the protest and says the movement is growing in momentum. Hang says, "A couple of years ago, there'd be 5 or 10 of us here. And you can see, it's just a huge crowd. These people have not gone to work, kids have not gone to school, I'm not at work. We're here to send that message to Governor Cuomo, don't allow fracking in a demonstration project in the Southern Tier unless it's safe for all New Yorkers."

There are more than 5,000 unplugged and abandoned wells across New York State.

And, they pose a threat to homes, drinking water sources and wetlands. That's according to Toxics Targeting, Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan and two anti-fracking groups. They highlighted their concerns Friday morning. Walter Hang of Toxics Targeting, who got the information from the Department of Environmental Conservation, says the gas and oil wells can leak and cause contamination. He's calling on Governor Andrew Cuomo to withdraw the state's revised SGEIS, which are the preliminary fracking guidelines, so the unplugged well issue can be properly addressed in the report.

Walter Hang says, "DEC's assertion that they've never had contamination problems, that these issues really aren't an issue, that the existing regulations are fine, that's entirely contradicted by this data."

There are allegations that the State Department of Environmental Conservation has breached the public trust.

Those harsh words come from the President of the environmental database firm in Ithaca called Toxics Targeting. Walter Hang says an extensive review of the DEC Mineral Resources annual reports shows that the agency has failed to protect the environment and people from some past gas drilling. Hang says the DEC has allowed improper gas and oil regulation for decades. Allegations include the DEC failing to do enough to protect water supplies and allowing billions of gallons of contaminated production brine to be put in lagoons, pits, streams and on roads without treating it first to remove chemicals. Hang also says that decades ago the DEC identified thousands of unplugged gas wells, but has allowed them to remain.

22nd District Congressional Candidate Dan Lamb says if fracking isn't safe for all of New York State, it's not safe for this area.

Democrat Lamb was in Binghamton today where he outlined his stance on fracking. He says the statewide moratorium on fracking should remain in place. And, that comprehensive public health, environmental and economic impact studies should be done so people can see the true impact of drilling.

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

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