Hydrofracking

[Brenda]

We heard her speak at The Seneca Lake Big Splash on Sept. 4th. She's brilliant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euRmu3h_Ubk&feature=player_embedded

[Matt]

A nice summary about how some Cayuga Lake communities are preparing for Fracking.
http://www.theithacajournal.com/article ... RONTPAGE|p

[Matt]

Here's a nice article about what you can do to help prevent Hydrofracking in your area (if you have decided it certainly isn't a benefit to your community)

Worried About Hydrofracking? There is Something You Can Do

[hobkyl]

Now if I come across some more of these findings...I would very definitely change my tune.

http://cnnmoney.mobi/wk_snarticle?artic ... m_business

[Brenda]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLVB4lLGrLI&feature=plcp&context=C2209aUDOEgsToPDskLsW4din3KGJQDoSaHgZV5l

[Matt]

The state actually already knows that. The oil companies know it. It has been known for a long time.
The issue is... that the drilling companies say they will pay for cleanup. That's the reason for the official assessments and the main reason why it was approved in NY.

They will never. Historically, mining and drilling companies never pay for cleanup (that is unless they are caught in the act of a disaster (Exxon, BP). That is their business model. They create a new corporation. Run the operation under that corporation. If there are any lawsuits against the corporation, they delay, delay, delay. When then mining operation is complete, they liquidate and declare bankruptcy, absolving them from liability and the taxpayers pay for cleanup--- potentially robbing them of all revenue generated from the mining operation in the first place. This has happened thousands of times. There are no laws from preventing it from happening. And it WILL happen with fracking. I guarantee it and will bet everything i own on it.
NY needs a law stating that parent corporations or buyouts are responsible for clean-up and public health of all subsidiary and past operations. But if that happens, I guarantee you no oil or drilling company will have any interest in drilling anywhere near NY.

[Matt]

Panel's meetings on hold as DEC reviews fracking comments

ALBANY — The state's hydrofracking advisory panel is in flux as the Department of Environmental Conservation wades through tens of thousands of public responses it received on the much-debated drilling technique.

The work of the panel is considered crucial if the state is to move forward with hydrofracking. It was set to meet three times through April, but now that schedule is under review, said agency spokeswoman Emily DeSantis.

"We are reviewing that schedule as our primary focus is currently on reviewing the public comments," DeSantis wrote in an email.

The panel is composed of 18 representatives from various groups as well as former and current elected officials. They are tasked with coming up with a new fee structure to generate state revenue from a potential gas-drilling boom.

The panel hasn't met since Dec. 20, and two January meetings were canceled. Since its launch in August, it has met a total of six times behind closed doors and postponed four meetings.

More here...
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/art ... |text|Home

[Matt]

Uh oh---
pretty reliable source on this.

State blames earthquakes on well

http://www.toledoblade.com/State/2012/0 ... -well.html

Basically, it says the scale of this well and the presence of a unknown fault is the leading cause of local seismic activity.