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By arimoore, on October 30th, 2009%
November 5, 2009, 7:00 p.m.at the Unitarian Church, 306 N. Aurora St. at Buffalo St. in Ithaca. Presentations on the dSGEIS will help citizens understand the proposed regulations governing gas drilling and how to make their opinions heard.
Speakers include:
- David Kay, of the Community and Rural Development Institute (CARDI) at Cornell, will describe the environmental review process (SEQRA) that required the DEC to issue the dSGEIS. He will also provide an overview of the 809 page document—what’s in it and where to find it.
- Ed Marx, Tompkins County Commissioner of Planning and Public Works, will focus specifically on the section that describes mitigation measures that are proposed and how local governments may be affected.
- Helen Slottje, a local attorney with an expertise in environmental law and litigation, will address deficiencies in the document and the legal implications for citizens and local governments.
A short Q&A session will follow these presentations. The public is urged to attend this session to learn about the document, its strengths and weaknesses, as well as the November 19 public hearing to submit comments to the DEC.
By ericbanford, on October 23rd, 2009%
On Thursday October 22, 2009 the Cortland County Legislature unanimously adopted a resolution calling for the DEC to extend the comment period on the SGEIS to 180 days. This resolution was introduced by Cortland County legislator Kathie Arnold, with help from Jim Weiss, Chairman of the Planning Board in the Town of Freetown. The resolution will be sent to Governor David Paterson, DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis, Senator James Seward , and Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton.
The full text of the resolution follows:
WHEREAS,
on September 30, 2009, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation issued a draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS) for potential natural gas drilling activities in the Marcellus Shale formation, allowing a 60 day public comment period and four public hearings,
AND WHEREAS,
given that the SGEIS is an 800 plus page document, 60 days is too short a time period to allow the public and appointed and elected officials to have adequate time to read, study, and comment on this lengthy document, with the added fact that many people in rural areas do not have access to high speed internet making access over the internet impossible, and given that paper copies were not available for 10 days after the internet posting of the SGEIS which means only 50 days allowed for comment by people without high speed internet access,
WHEREAS,
four public hearings is inadequate to fully allow the public to participate,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED,
that the Cortland County Legislature strongly urges NYS DEC to lengthen the comment period to 180 days to allow citizens and officials adequate time to read and assess the document and compose appropriate comments,
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,
that additional hearings be held around the state, especially in the counties affected, so that everyone has a chance to participate and to hear the testimony,
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,
that a copy of this resolution shall be sent to Governor Patterson, DEC Commissioner Grannis, Senator James Seward, Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, and Assemblyman Gary Finch.
By arimoore, on October 21st, 2009%
Today, the Gannett newspapers are running an online poll: “Should New York state environmental officials extend the 60-day period for commenting on the latest natural gas-drilling regulations?”
Please weigh in! We all know these online “polls” are anything but scientific, but it will only take a minute to register your opinion, and it may help with the public relations battle on drilling. You can find the poll at any of these locations:
These papers continue to run news articles and editorials that are asking tough questions and they deserve our recognition for that.
By arimoore, on October 21st, 2009%
On Saturday, October 17, 2009, the Executive Committee of the Atlantic Chapter of the Sierra Club met in Syracuse and passed a resolution proposed by the SC Gas Drilling Task Force. The resolutions calls on the NYS legislature to enact a ban on unconventional gas drilling in NYS.
Continue reading Atlantic Chapter of Sierra Club Calls for Ban on Drilling
By arimoore, on October 9th, 2009%
Gas Drilling: Legal Issues for Landowners (with or without a lease)
A free educational forum, open to all
With increased natural gas development in the Southern Tier will come new and complex legal issues that affect both landowners and communities. Please join us on Thursday, October 29, from 7:00 to 9:30 pm to hear presentations by legal experts, followed by an opportunity to ask questions.
The forum will be held at Cornell Vet School’s James Law Auditorium on Tower Road, just a block from Rt. 366.
Topics will include
- lease terms and considerations
- “force majeure” lease extensions
- intricacies of lease extension/expiration
- compulsory integration (the legal extraction of gas from under unleased lands)
- liability issues
- protection of rights and property
All are encouraged to attend this unique event sponsored by the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) South Central NY Agricultural Team, together with Shaleshock Citizens Action Coalition, Community Science Institute, Finger Lakes Bioneers, Interfaith Action for Healing Earth, NYS Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, Sustainable Tompkins, and Tompkins County Farm Bureau.
For more information, please contact Schuyler CCE at 607-535-7161, or Tompkins CCE at 272-2292, or by email at: cab377@cornell.edu. More details will soon be posted to the CCE Natural Gas Development Resource Center website: http://gasleasing.cce.cornell.edu/ .
By lisawright, on September 30th, 2009%
DEC EXTENDS PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR MARCELLUS SHALE DRAFT SGEIS
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation today announced it has extended the public comment period on the draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS) governing potential natural gas drilling activities in the Marcellus Shale formation from Nov. 30 to Dec. 31.
Be sure to visit our Take Action Now page for suggested comments for the DEC!
Continue reading Take Action Now! Comment on the Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement On The Oil, Gas and Solution Mining Regulatory Program
By arimoore, on September 22nd, 2009%
Petition: Schlumberger has history of environmental problems by G. Jeffrey Aaron:
An Ithaca-based environmental firm has presented a petition to Horseheads village planners that requests a full environmental impact study for the Schlumberger gas drilling support facility proposed for an 88-acre parcel near Wygant and Ridge roads.
The petition, e-mailed Monday to the village by Toxics Targeting Inc., includes the names of more than 60 residents primarily from the Horseheads and Elmira area who support the request, environmental data, a map showing more than 80 toxic spills or accidents that have taken place over the years within a quarter-mile radius of the proposed site, and federal records that document Schlumberger’ s environmental regulatory non-compliance at five of its facilities. (Read more)
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About Us Shaleshock is an information hub connecting people to regional groups and projects working to stop exploitative drilling in the Marcellus Shale.(more)
2009 Signs of Sustainability
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