NYS Legislature’s Budget Hearing on Environmental Conservation

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissoner Joseph Martens testifies before members of the New York State Legislature. The first video, after a short prelude featuring Sandra Steingraber, shows the hearing up through Commissioner Martens' opening remarks, and then shows fracking-related excerpts only. The second video is the rally which immediately followed the meeting.

Statement from: New Yorkers Against Fracking:

 

RALLY TO STOP FRACKING APPROVAL BY GOVERNOR CUOMO

NO SGEIS – NO REGULATIONS- NO FRACKING NY February 4th, 2013- Albany, NY

 

It’s the 11th hour in the fight against fracking. We are faced with a February 13 do or die deadline when the revised Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS) will or will not appear in the DEC’s Environmental Notice Bulletin. The SGEIS legally has to age 10 days in order to issue the final Findings Statement and final regulations (the ones we recently commented on) by Feb 27. We need to voice to the Governor that the power of our movement is growing and that allowing fracking in New York would be the fatal mistake of his political career.

The health review currently underway has been done in secret with no public comment or transparency. The Governor needs to open up the review and allow for public participation. By opening up public participation of the health review, he must halt finalization of the SGEIS and subsequently let the proposed regulations expire - this is what needs to happen to allow science, facts, and public health to drive this decision.

This is why we need you back in Albany on February 4th for the NYS Legislature’s Budget Hearing on Environmental Conservation, where the legislature will be able to question DEC Commissioner Martens on their secretive, dysfunctional and undemocratic process. We need to pack the room and be there when DEC Commissioner Martens testifies, starting at 9am and for the entirety of his remarks. Following the Commissioners testimony we will gather in the Million Dollar Staircase for a rally and a press conference to unite as a united front and demand that this fatally flawed process not move forward. We’re asking everyone to wear blue and bring a jar of the clean water from your tap to hold up as well as signs. Our message to Governor Cuomo is this – we are organized and we will not let up or give up.

OUR MESSAGE ON FEBRUARY 4th is this: NO SGEIS- NO REGS- NO FRACKING.

DRBC Public Hearing on Draft Natural Gas Regulations

 

Honesdale, PA; February 22, 2011

This was the first of two public hearings scheduled by the Delaware River Basin Commission for the same day in Honesdale, PA. The subject was the DRBC's proposed regulations relating to gas drilling. The two sides, for drilling and against, could agree on only one thing: they are both overwhelmingly opposed to the proposed regs.

As for myself, I'm with the "Drill, baby, drill" crowd, because of the obvious economic benefits:

1. Governments will be able to levy huge fines against the gas drilling companies for ignoring environmental regulations. Either that, or politicians will get rich taking bribes to NOT levy fines. Either way, it's more outside money coming into our community.

2. Construction companies will go on a hiring spree to repair the road damage caused by thousands of tanker trucks making thousands of trips at all hours of the day and night.

3. Doctors, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies will reap a windfall treating chronic diseases caused by toxic chemicals released into the water, air and soil.

4. Realtors will have tens of thousands of new listings from residents eager to relocate out of the new industrial zone which was once their home sweet home. Of course, this may not actually result in any money changing hands, because who will want to move here? (Scratch that one.)

5. Lawyers will make millions filing lawsuits against everyone in sight.

6. Bottled water companies will see unprecedented demand from people seeking drinking water that can't be lit with a match.

7. Thousands of jobs will open up in law enforcement and social services agencies to deal with the increase in drug abuse and crime, along with related social problems.

8. Landlords will be able to double and triple rents as the working poor are priced out of the housing market to make room for gas drilling workers.

What are we waiting for? Drill, baby, drill!

PS: I had to edit out a few audience comments made while I was changing tapes in my video camera. Also, there was a PowerPoint presentation early on (which I edited out), and here is a link to the PDF.