Tell Gov. Paterson to Protect New York from the Dangers of Industrial Drilling

Don’t let Governor Paterson and Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Grannis cut New Yorkers out of our chance to weigh in on how New York State regulates industrial natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation.  

Natural gas companies are chomping at the bit to start industrial drilling in the Marcellus Shale, which includes the Southern Tier and Catskills regions. New Yorkers need time to weigh in on this critical issue.

The DEC just released its draft drilling guide. This guide—formally known as the draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement—will determine how well (or not) New York regulates this potentially dangerous industry in the Marcellus Shale formation. The draft includes a 60-day public comment period. That's just not long enough. 

We're calling for at least 120 days of public comment and public meetings in the communities that will be affected by drilling.   

In other parts of the country, natural gas drilling has poisoned wells and spilled toxic chemicals into waterways and landscapes. Click to learn more here and here.

Please act now. We need to protect New York from the dangers of industrial drilling before it’s too late.