Hydrofracking

There’s a brief post-script to the kerfluffle over the Erie County-based consulting firm hired to aid the state in developing the environmental impact statement for hydrofracking.

To recap, the firm Ecology and Environment was included on a letter this week by the Independent Oil and Gas Association, one of the prominent trade groups backing hydrofracking in the state, that pushed Gov. Andrew Cuomo to begin permitting for the controversial gas drilling process.

The firm was listed with dozens of other companies and entities, but a day later clarified that its membership was only for an individual employee who signed up in order to keep up-to-date on the current trends in technology and receive a newsletter. The company, which paid the dues for the employee, wrote in a letter to the Department of Environmental Conservation that it was terminating the relationship.

A reader today directed me to the membership form for IOGA, which includes this caveat at the end: “For income tax purposes, 65% of IOGANY 2013 dues may be deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense, but not as a charitable contribution. 35% of dues payments are considered “lobbying expenses” and are, therefore, nondeductible.”

The epsiode for opponents of hydrofracking underscores their concerns the state is too closely tied with the natural gas industry. A day after the New York Public Interest Research Group called for the scrapping of the environmental impact statement that E&E contributed to and after the company clarified its relationship with IOGA, a second good-government organization, Common Cause, says it also wants the state to start over again.

Common Cause also called attention to two other groups, Alpha Geoscience and URS Corporation, hired in 2009 during Gov. David Paterson’s administration, that have ties to the industry.

“We are deeply disquieted by this large scale breach of the public interest,” Executive Director Susan Lerner said in a statement. “New Yorkers submitted over 66,000 comments on the proposed SGEIS in good faith, reflecting their concerns. These conflicts of interest discredit the impartiality of the review process.”

As if we needed more evidence on Gannett’s Jon Campbell’s impact as the LCA’s resident fracking scoop artist, a coalition of groups and Senate and Assembly Democrats today seizing on his report that one of the experts hired by the Department of Environmental Conservation to help write hydrofracking regulations is a member of the gas industry trade group.

Democrats, along with the New York Public Interest Research Group and the environmental organization Frack Action, are calling for the Revised Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Study to be scrapped after it came to light Ecology and Environment, a consultant hired by the DEC, is part of the Independent Oil & Gas Association.

IOGA sent a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo this week that pushed him on allowing hydrofracking to move forward in the state. Included on the letter was Ecology and Environment.

Opponents of hydrofracking, already skeptical that the state was too close to business groups backing hydrofracking, believe the process is too tainted.

“I think this sort of thing is very troulbing. It shows the administration, the DEC, is too cozy with the industry,” said Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, D-Ithaca.

In a letter to Cuomo, NYPIRG called on him to return to begin the regulation-writing process again.

“We believe that New Yorkers deserve a truly independent review of the socio-economic impacts of fracking in the state. Ecology and Environment’s lobbying position demonstrates that it is not an objective analyst on this subject,” the group wrote.

A call to the DEC was not immediately returned.

The state has blown through multiple self-imposed deadlines to finalize the rule-making process for hydrofracking. The state Department of Health is currently assessing the health impacts of hydrofracking qnd the DEC has not ruled out issuing permits as the regulations are still be written if the DOH deems the process safe.

The Honorable Andrew M by Nick Reisman

New York voters remain divided over whether to allow the controversial natural gas drilling method known as hydrofracking should be allowed, but their knowledge of the issue has reached its highest point in two years, a Quinnipiac poll released this morning found.

The poll found that 42 percent support drilling for the possible economic benefits, while 46 percent votes do not back hydrofracking over environmental concerns.

“Fracking continues to divide the state by party, region and gender. The thumbs-down we found last time is moving back into a grey area. Voters still think it will bring new jobs – and some environmental damage,” said Mickey Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac Univerity Polling Institute.

Upstate voters are divided 45 percent in favor, 46 percent opposed on the issue of fracking, while New York City residents oppose it 47 to 37 percent.

Meanwhile, more New York voters say they have read or heard something about the polarizing issue.

The poll found 69 percent of voters have heard of the issue, the highest since the question was asked. In September 2011, only 53 percent of New York voters surveyed said they had heard or read something about fracking.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is yet to make a determination as to whether hydrofracking should be allowed. Cuomo has said he understands there could be significant economic benefits to allowing fracking, but wants to determine first whether there are any health risks in the lead up to what’s expected to be a flurry of legal challenges based on whatever deicsion is ultimately made.

The state Department of Health is currently reviewing whether fracking would adversely effect human health as the state Department of Environmental Conservation has blown through multiple deadlines for the regulatory process.

The telephone survey of 1,404 registered New York voters was conducted between April 9 and 14 and has a margin of error of 2.6 percentage points.

Http Www.quinnipiac.edu Images Polling Ny Ny04182013 by Nick Reisman

Hudson Valley United Against Fracking, a coalition featuring current and retired lawmakers, singer Natalie Merchant and environmentalists sent a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo today urging him to not move forward with any plans to allow high-volume fracking in the state.

The letter, signed by former Rep. Maurice Hinchey, comes as the state Department of Health continues its review of the impact of the controversial natural-gas drilling process.

Also included in the coalition is newly elected Sen. Cecilia Tkaczyk, whose district stretches from the Mohawk Valley down to the Hudson Valley.

In the letter, Hinchey points to his own efforts in Congress to oppose hydrofracking and push the Environmental Protection Agnecy to adopt stricter guidelines for the drilling method.

After serving as an elected official for nearly four decades, I understand howimportant it is not to rush decisions like this and make certain we have all the data, facts and best information to make the right decision. I’m confident that New Yorkers will agree with and support you in standing up for their health and well-being by allowing the scientific studies to be completed prior to the State’s decision about fracking. I would certainly join them in applauding yourcourageous leadership on this issue in doing so and I thank you for considering these comments.

The Independent Oil and Gas Association released a statement in response to the letter, saying that once the regulations are adopted many of the concerns from the environmental community will be addressed.

“New York’s draft permit guidelines and regulations, when finalized, will address every concern expressed by those who oppose safe natural gas exploration. Drafts of these documents include exhaustive review and rigorous protections of drinking water supplies, incorporating strict well-casing rules, lengthy setbacks from surface waters, and numerous other safeguards,” said IOGA Executive Director Brad Gill.

Hinc Hey Letter by Nick Reisman

Opposition among New York voters to high-volume hydrofracking is growing, with 46 percent of voters telling a Quinnipiac University survey they are against allowing the process in the state.

The poll released this morning found that voters are split 46 to 39 percent on the issue that remains a polarizing one in Albany.

The results are the reversal of what Quinnipiac found less than two years ago, when support for hydrofracking peaked at 47 percent to 42 percent.

“New Yorkers might be getting impatient with the long delay over natural gas drilling. They’re turning negative on the basic idea and more of them see foot-dragging by Gov. Andrew Cuomo rather than a careful evaluation,” said Mickey Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Looking at the issue regionally, upstate voters remain divided on the issue of hydrofracking, with 42 percent opposed and 44 percent in support. A similar result is found among suburbanites, with both support and opposition coming in at 42 percent.

Hydrofracking is most clearly opposed in New York City, where a clear majority — 53 percent of voters polled — say they are against the process and only 32 percent say they back it.

The state has repeatedly missed self-imposed deadlines to develop regulations should hydrofracking permits be granted.

The state Department of Health is continuing to study the impact of hydrofracking on human health as the Department of Environmental Conservation says permits could be granted if the report deems the process safe.

The issue has been a particularly difficult one for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to thread the needle on as a passionate environmental movement has sprung up to oppose fracking. Environmental groups contend the process is a dangerous one and could adversely impact the local water table.

Cuomo has said he wants the science to guide the process on whether hydrofracking is allowed.

Supporters of hydrofracking point to the economic benefit of allowing the process, which would be considered for the state’s economically troubled Southern Tier area where natural gas deposits are believed to be especially rich.

032013 Ny Frack Poll + Bp by Nick Reisman