Check out this update on Walter Hang’s petition in Krisy Gashler’s 6,000 sign petition asking DEC to strengthen natural gas-drilling regulations, for the Binghamton PressSun Bulletin:

An Ithaca environmental activist and 6,000 other individuals and organizations asked the governor Tuesday to withdraw the state’s newly drafted regulations on natural gas drilling, saying the state’s entire regulatory framework needs to be strengthened before more drilling occurs.

Walter Hang, president of Toxics Targeting, is the activist who last month publicized 270 spill reports from the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s own database, documenting well contamination and other environmental pollution related to the conventional, vertical gas drilling that has gone on in New York State for decades.

“DEC’s own data document systematic, on-going failures to prevent oil and gas drilling pollution impacts or to clean them up. It is imperative that DEC resolve those regulatory shortcomings prior to issuing new drilling permits,” the petition states.

Signatories include state Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, U.S. Congressman Eric Massa, the National Resources Defense Council, Common Cause, Earthjustice, Earthworks, and the New York State Public Interest Research Group.

The Ithaca Town Board also voted unanimously Monday night to urge the governor to withdraw the regulations. (Read more)

Click here to sign the coalition letter and click here for two other urgent petitions.