New York State Fracking
There’s a certain scent of inevitability in the air over in Albany.
The signs are all there; the recent national boom in natural gas demand, article upon article discussing the regional job creation and economic benefits across the country, the ongoing 4 year study of health and environmental impacts by the state…yep, mark it down – NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo will lift the current moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in New York State, possibly as soon as this month.
But, the truth is the debate is far from over amongst New York citizens.
No matter how you slice it, there are two very viable sides to this story. Governor Cuomo has a valid point about how national natural gas production is increasing steadily and will continue to flourish for a substantial period of time. He’s right about the generation of desperately-needed jobs in a region of New York State that is plentiful in gas potential, and in work force potential. He has overviewed the missteps of other states in regards to full disclosure of where drilling occurs, and of which chemicals are being pumped into fracking wells. He has the chance to create a policy that requires responsibility amongst the entire industry, which could potentially set a national standard with enough groundswell.
But don’t believe for a second that lifting the state moratorium on fracking has nothing to do with big money and business interests. To quote an article (link is at the bottom) on September 6 from the Huffington Post, ‘The New York Public Interest Research Group {have} reported that ten corporations or trade associations spent $4.5 million over the last three years lobbying in New York state on fracking.’ Furthermore, ‘Among Cuomo’s top donors in recent years are at least four corporate law firms that work on natural gas issues and have a presence in Albany.’ The message is simple; if Cuomo takes care of big business, big business has no problem funding the future campaigns of Cuomo and his posse. (…and the rumor is that Cuomo will make a Presidential bid in 2016)
Furthermore, there’s always the issue of what we truly are doing to the environment to reap the benefits of natural gas production. Governor Cuomo states that fracking can be done in a respectable, efficient, yet calculated way that is minimally intrusive to New York City and Syracuse water reservoirs that are only miles away from proposed wells.* But quite frankly, there are several reports that directly contradict each other in terms of ground water contamination…so it’s completely understandable to not know which voices to trust at this point.
Environmentalists say fracking is an ongoing catastrophe that’s only going to get more destructive and more intrusive with increased drilling. Government regulators counter by saying they have better standards than ever and that the instances of ground water contamination (and earthquakes caused by fracking) are few and far between.
I can’t give you a clear cut answer as to which opinion is the right one…but I have to guess the answer lies somewhere in the middle, as it often does. The only real option I can suggest is to become educated; keep up on recent fracking articles, on new drilling standards, on new environmental studies, and so on (like the ones we post to Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn daily!). Don’t turn a blind eye to what is happening in the world around you! As the old adage goes – knowledge is power – and knowledgeable citizens represent the general public’s greatest voice.
* It’s worth noting that Cuomo throws in the ‘fact’ that none of the potential places approved for fracking in south-central NYS will affect New York City/Syracuse water, although 1) there’s no scientific evidence to support that claim, and 2) that statement is a direct slap in the face to any non-New York City/Syracuse resident whose watershed IS within striking distance, it minimizes the value of upstate NY citizens…besides, why would he need to mention the regions that ‘won’t be affected’ if fracking is so non-intrusive? Just my opinion… – Read more here…
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