ALBANY -- A postponed meeting of a state advisory panel on natural gas hydraulic fracturing had one member saying Friday that it showed the state was rushing an approval process for drilling to start next year.
Robert Moore, executive director of Environmental Advocates of New York and a member of the hydrofraking advisory panel set up this summer by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said Friday's meeting was scrapped because state Department of Health, Transportation Department, Public Service Commission, and Agriculture and Markets Department are still estimating demands that gas drilling will place on staff and resources.
The state is expecting up to 2,500 wells a year could be drilled in the Marcellus Shale, a gas-rich rock formation that runs from the western Catskills through the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes region. The state is considering rules to allow drilling through hydraulic fracturing, or hydrofracking, which uses a high-pressure mix of chemicals, water and sand pumped deep underground to break up gas-bearing rocks.
Opponent claim hydrofracking threatens air and water quality, while the drilling industry insists that it is safe.
"Clearly, state agencies are caught flat-flooted by Gov. Cuomo's rush to drill. We're less than two months from closing the simultaneous comment periods on the environmental impact statement, regulations and draft permit, and the governor and state agencies still don't know how many tens of millions of dollars this industry will cost the state," Moore said. "This is further evidence that New York is unprepared to provide responsible oversight of fracking and guarantee that our drinking water and communities are protected."
"The panel will meet in two weeks. All necessary information will be provided to panel members. The process will continue in a timely manner," DEC spokeswoman Emily DeSantis said.
Reach Nearing at 454-5094 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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