In response to a report in today's New York Times regarding an apparent plan by New York State to proceed with fracking in limited areas, we have released the following statement:
"As has long been our position, NRDC supports a continuing statewide moratorium on high-volume hydraulic fracturing in New York State until DEC fully evaluates the risks and determines whether it can develop a plan that is fully protective of public health and the environment. It is clear that current regulatory practices and technologies utilized elsewhere would not do so.
The state is currently in the midst of an on-going environmental review process, and until it is complete, there remain too many questions that must be answered and too many health and environmental issues that must be resolved for the state to consider moving forward now with any plans to frack – whether in limited portions of the Marcellus Shale region or otherwise.
For example, we still do not know how the huge volumes of tainted wastewaters that would be produced by drilling would be handled. Nor have lingering concerns about localized health impacts yet been addressed. And important questions remain unanswered concerning how local communities would be protected against potential impacts to their quality of life.
We look forward to continued participation as the DEC’s environmental review and the Administration’s decision-making process move forward."