Public Employees Federation Asks Governor for Delay in Permitting, Others Ask for Process to Proceed
Gas Drilling Rigs Coming Soon?
From the Walton Reporter (no website), January 6, 2010.
Last week, the union that represents DEC employees sent a letter to Governor David Paterson, asking the governor to extend the comment period on the dGEIS for at least another 30 days and to express the union’s judgment that the expansion of gas well hydrofracturing must not be allowed within the next calendar year, if not longer. The Public Employees Federation (PEF), which represents nearly 2,000 professional, technical and scientific staff of DEC, also sent its comments to DEC.
PEF is also concerned that the staffing and funding resources needed to assure that the state’s natural resources will be fully protected have not been identified in the dSGEIS. The union believes New York should not allow hydrofracturing until a funding source for increased staff has been identified.
In addition, PEF said a large amount of water is needed for the hydrofracturing process and that the dSGEIS should identify how to avoid excessive withdrawals in sensitive areas, where habitat could suffer. The backwater and its treatment have also not been fully explored and considered, PEF added.
The PEF does maintain that the dGEIS “is a vast improvement over plans developed by other states,” but adds, “standards set by other states leave a great deal to be desired…”
PEF concludes. “There has not been any cost benefit analysis performed, nor are any planned, to develop a full accounting of actual costs and opportunity costs, such as the costs of municipal treatment plant upgrades, new road construction, increased road maintenance on existing roads or community emergency response costs, such as spill response, emergency preparedness or remediation expenses associated with allowing this type of drilling.”
While the PEF claims there has been no cost benefit analysis, a group of organizations sent a letter to the governor claiming that “Marcellus Shale development in New York will generate more than $1.4 billion in annual economic impact.” A letter, written by Brad R. Gill, executive director of the Independent Gas & Oil Association of NY and signed by other industrial associations and New York economic and development representatives, as well as Delaware County Board of Supervisors James Eisel, asked the governor to not postpone the development of the Marcellus Shale.
In the letter, Gill wrote, “The extremely stringent requirements proposed by the DEC in the dSGEIS provide the public with the necessary oversight that natural gas exploration and extraction will be conducted in an environmentally safe manner.”
The letter further states, “In Broome County, a recent study showed that 2,000 wells would annually generate more than $7.4 billion in economic activity, and nearly $400 million in wages, salaries and benefits. Also, more than $600 million in property tax income and $22 million in state and local taxes would be generated.”
Public Employees Federation Letter – NY dSGEIS Comments Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling –