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HEALTH RISKS FORUM – Feb 23rd

NATURAL GAS WITH UN-NATURAL CONSEQUENCES:

THE HEALTH RISKS OF SHALE GAS DRILLING

Tuesday, February 23, 6:30-8:30 at The Forum room, Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3), 170 North St, Dryden, NY.
The presenters will be Ron Bishop, lecturer in Chemistry at SUNY Oneonta; Thomas Shelly, chemical safety and hazardous materials specialist; Adam Law, a physician who specializes in endocrinology. Dr. William Klepack, a family practice physician in Dryden, will be introducing the speakers.

Doors will open at 6:00 and talks start at 6:30. The evening will be divided into three half hour presentations, with a question and answer period following the presentations.
The presentations:

Ron Bishop, lecturer in chemistry at SUNY Oneonta, will offer a powerpoint presentation addressing the why and how of the unconventional gas drilling technique known as high-volume, slick-water, hydrofracturing. Bishop holds a B.A. in Chemistry from Youngstown State University and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from The West Virgina University School of Medicine. In his 17 years of full-time research, his projects were related to cancer and biosafety. For the last 11 years, Bishop has taught a variety of courses (biology, genetics, general and organic chemistry, biochemistry and environmental sciences) in high schools and colleges. He currently teaches in the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department at SUNY Oneonta, and is nationally certified in chemical hazards management.
Thomas Shelley, chemical safety and hazardous materials specialist and chemist by profession!,will follow Ron Bishop s presentation with a discussion of how the chemicals used at the drilling site are handled, what chemicals come back out of the ground with the drilling waste fluids and the categories of different chemical mixtures. He will also talk about the established links between chemicals and health, and address some of the issues of radioactivity in the waste fluid. Shelley worked in Cornell Environmental Health and Safety for 18 years as a chemical and laboratory safety specialist. For much of that time he was the Chemical Hygiene Officer for Cornell University.
Adam Law is a physician who specializes in endocrinology. He will present a brief overview of the disruptions chemicals can bring to the human body s endocrine system. Adam Law was raised in London, UK where he received his medical degree and his doctorate in molecular medicine. He has 8 years of basic science research experience in molecular biology and biochemistry. He has been an attending physician at the Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca since 1994 and was President of the medical staff 2009. He became aware of gas drilling in the Finger Lakes portion of the Marcellus shale after questions from his concerned patients. As an endocrinologist he has been inspired by the work of Dr. Theo Colborn, founder of the Endocrine Disruptor Exchange.

This forum is sponsored by Shaleshock Citizen s Action Alliance and co-sponsored by the
Center for Transformative Action, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, Gas Drilling Awareness of Cortland County, TC3 Sustainability Council, Dryden R
esource Awareness Coalition, Sustainable Otsego, Sustainable Tompkins, and Marcellus Accountability Project.

For more information contact Shaleshock08@yahoo.com or call Sharon Anderson, Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County at 607-272-2292

PLEASE HELP DISTRIBUTE AND DISPLAY POSTERS!

TC3 health 2-23 risks flyer

Pledge to reduce natural gas demand: Take the Marcellus Challenge

People across the Finger Lakes Region are deeply concerned about the prospect of extensive drilling for natural gas in the vast Marcellus Shale deposit. The use of hydrofracking technology to force out the gas brings with it significant threats to the health and well being of our entire community. With close to 40% of the land in Tompkins County leased for gas drilling, we are likely to see severe impacts from this extractive industry.

That’s why Sustainable Tompkins has joined the call for a statewide ban on hydrofracking until all concerns and all costs are competently addressed by the drilling industry and the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation. However, we strongly believe that we must be willing to take a systems approach to the issue of natural gas drilling. If we want to reduce the supply of gas flowing from the Marcellus, then we have to prove that we are also willing to take the time, and make the investments, to decrease our demand for natural gas and fossil fuels. (Read more)

Take the pledge!

Comment on the 2009 draft State Energy Plan

The 2009 draft State Energy Plan that was just released seems to be getting little public attention. The interim plan (March 2009) was developed after a number of hearings last winter and was focused on renewable sources. The interim plan was replaced on the website by the draft plan this week and has expanded coverage to all energy sources including development of the Marcellus Shale.

Pages 49-51 address natural gas development and quote the potential recoverable production that are prevalent in the industry publications but are now being questioned based on experience in the fully developed Barnett Shale. There are a lot of assumptions about the economic benefits of increased landowner wealth and tax collection although property taxes on gas production are extremely modest and NY presently has no severance tax on natural gas production. It does acknowledge concerns about the local impacts to communities, including increased truck traffic, noise, aesthetics, and impact on quality of life. Assumptions are made that environmental protection is fully satisfied by the DEC during the GEIS process.

The Ithaca Journal had an article on the Plan this week based on the Governor’s executive order and a press release. It also quotes environmental advocates.

There is a series of public meetings through Aug and Sept. (PDF) and a mid Oct. deadline for written comments with the final report due in November.

It seems to me that this deserves a high priority for all government officials and environmental advocates.

IOGA/NYSERDA wrap-up

Here is the information shared at the IOGA/NYSERDA event:

"Natural Gas as Answer to Oil Decline Could Lead to Catastrophe, Says Leading Expert" (OilVoice)

“Ploughing resources into the use of natural gas as an alternative energy supply could lead to global shortage within 20 years time, according to a leading energy expert.”
Read the rest