Comments on: Sen. Avella on Fracking Forum

By: Vera Scroggins

Vera Scroggins — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 14:52:00 +0000

thanks, to Sen. Avella for speaking out about the horrors of fracking and for willing to stand up to the Gas Industry and protect NY and not allow this injustice on the people…

By: William Huston

William Huston — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 14:36:00 +0000

God Bless You, Senator Avella!!!

By: Jatabasco

Jatabasco — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 21:15:00 +0000

I viewed much of the testimony. It is a sad state of NY politics that the Senate minority had to use this forum to once again demonstrate the dangers of allowing horizontal “fracking” for natural gas to occur in New York State. The majority Republicans should be ashamed for not allowing this testimony to be a part of the public record.

By: Yamss2001

Yamss2001 — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 10:57:00 +0000

Decide the issue on the facts not on the pocketbook! Fracking is not safe or needed! Supporting investment in renewable energy sources and technology is the future and supports life…fossil fuels are the past and are a dead issue.

By: Thinksolar

Thinksolar — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 05:06:00 +0000

Just say “Know”. Shale gas drilling is a disaster waiting to happen. Even if the 600 or so toxic chemicals could be eliminated, the radon that occurs naturally in the Marcellus shale would render the gas radioactive.

Maybe someday there will be a way to extract this gas safely. What the hell is the mad rush to use up every drop of fossil fuels on earth? Are there to be no future generations? Maybe if fracking destroys the air and water there won’t be.

Fracking needs to be made the crime that it is, with stiff sentences for the perpetrators.

By: Lij Lij Briggy

Lij Lij Briggy — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 02:52:00 +0000

Hey Governor, the science is in that Horizontal Hydraulic Fracking is a boom and bust industry that will leave the area where this takes place, in ruin. The leak of the DEC and the Gas industry looking at the SGEIS and will help draw it up. State Senator Avella states that if the Governor and the DEC approves new leases in NY then the Governor and the DEC are not listening to science and will own that mess. But the New Yorkers will have to live with it. This Governor is not following his oath when he took office. He should not be Governor anymore.

By: Rebecca Casstevens

Rebecca Casstevens — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:56:00 +0000

Governor Cuomo has said that “the science” should inform his decision of whether to allow fracking in 5 counties of the Southern Tier, but what I found particularly disturbing to learn, from the preeminent scholars who spoke at Senator Avella’s forum yesterday, is that “the science” that many of these scholars have submitted to the DEC has been utterly ignored. Appalling.

By: Srapp

Srapp — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:57:00 +0000

Senator Avella’s hearing yesterday was excellent in so many respects. He had leading experts to testify on every aspect of hydrofracking. Can the people of New York expect to have as much expert testimony with regard to the DEC regulations? Apparently not, since we recently learned that DEC shared inside information with gas industry reps and has farmed out the 80,000 comments it received on the sgeis. Chip Northrup made the important point that in every other state, mineral regulation and environmental oversight are carried out by 2 different agencies. He also stated that NY has the worst regs in the country. We can only hope that Governor Cuomo is paying attention–and will guard the interest of his constituents ahead of those of his political ambitions, even though those should not be opposed.

By: S. G. Cohen

S. G. Cohen — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:46:00 +0000

Liz,

You are always well informed on the issues and question
guests incisively.

This awesome interview with Senator Avella is one example.

Senator Avella shines a light on the mounting concerns
related to hydrofracking — from collusion of the DEC with the gas industry to major health and legal concerns.

High volume, high pressure horizontal drilling is a
relatively new process,

the ramifications of which are not well understood. Senator Avella brings

to the forefront the fact that research is just beginning to
emerge, evidenced

by testimony from Dr. Robert Howarth of Cornell and other
researchers.

The forum, gave us the opportunity to hear concerns of
economists, legal experts, the medical community and others.

Thanks for spotlighting the senator’s tireless work to
examine the most

critical environmental issue of our time.

By: JoCoNY

JoCoNY — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:38:00 +0000

I had the opportunity to listen to Senator Avella’s public forum yesterday. The presentations demonstrated a very high level of expertise in science, economics, and regulatory expertise. The Governor, Commissioner Martens, the DEC Minerals Division and all other DEC employees involved in environmental reviews, and all members of the Assembly and Senate should review the testimony and supporting documents.

If they do, I think they will agree that the risks of unconventional gas drilling are too high and take action to ban hydrofracking in the state.

JC – Vestal NY