Despite the myriad of environmental issues in the Rochester, NY region including ( Climate Rochester |Wetlands | Brownfields |Urban Sprawl |Plants (Rochester's flora) | Air Quality |Great Lakes |Pesticides | Water Quality |Recycling | Transportation |Food & Environment |Genesee River |Wildlife | Geese Problem |Deer Problem |Environmental Health | Lyme Disease |Rabies |West Nile Virus| Lead Poisoning |ViralHemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) |Parks| and Invasive Species) hydrofracking looms over all other issues lately. If you are one of the vanishing few in our region who has never heard of hydrofracking, go here: Hydraulic fracturing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
There are many reasons why our region is seized by this issue: There are water quality concerns; heavy truck traffic and road wear concerns. There are concerns about the disclosure of the fracking fluids, which the fracking folks are disinclined to reveal. There are possible public health concerns because of air quality and many more.
But to truly understand why, despite all the environmental and public health concerns, New York State is probably going to go ahead and drill for natural gas is because we are addicted to fossil fuels—and our state could be the new gas-drilling state. And the thing about addictions is that reason and caution takes a step back and we go ahead and do it anyway. In New York State, it’s going to be a great big battle about hydrofracking but we are going to go ahead and do it because we don’t want to face Climate Change and change our energy habits. We should at least be honest with ourselves. We are addicted to fossil fuels and it’s going to take a lot more that this hullabaloo to stop it:
- Energy Department panel to endorse shale gas exploration - The Washington Post A key Energy Department advisory panel will issue a qualified endorsement of shale gas exploration Thursday, saying that hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” can continue safely as long as companies disclose more about their practices and monitor their environmental impact. The committee’s report could ease the way for greater domestic gas exploration, even as it calls for new standards to limit harmful air emissions that bring to the surface gas buried deep in shale formations. But the report is largely silent on the most contentious issue surrounding shale gas exploration: who should regulate it, and whether regulators should apply to it laws such as the Safe Drinking Water Act. (August 11, 2011) The Washington Post: National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - The Washington Post
- Energy Dept. panel backs ‘fracking’ chemicals disclosure - The Hill's E2-Wire Energy Department advisers are backing mandatory disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, the controversial natural gas drilling method, in a new report that lauds expanded development while calling for several improved environmental safeguards. The wide-ranging report arrives amid a legal and political battle over the method – dubbed “fracking – that’s enabling a U.S. gas boom but raising fears of water and air pollution. (August 11, 2011) TheHill.com
- Energy Panel Wants Answers On Gas 'Fracking' : NPR A Department of Energy panel hopes new recommendations — if implemented — will restore the public's trust in hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" for natural gas. In the last few years, fracking has brought new life to old gas fields around the country. Most of the increasing production comes from dense layers of shale deep underground. By pumping huge deep underground amounts of water, along with smaller amounts of chemicals and sand, drillers can force gas out of shale. (August 11, 2011) Environment : NPR
- N.Y. Enviro Commissioner Expects Little From EPA Fracking Study - ProPublica When Joe Martens became commissioner of New York's Department of Environmental Conservation in March, he expected an unusual challenge. The department oversees everything environmental in the state, from managing 4.5 million acres of land to regulating ship ballast water in the Great Lakes. But no contemporary issue is more dominant — or more controversial — than whether and how to allow energy companies to drill for natural gas in New York using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. (August 9, 2011) ProPublica
- Fund would make drillers clean up damage from fracking - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow Finger Lakes, N.Y. — New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli proposed Tuesday establishing a fund supported by fees from drillers to clean up environmental damage from natural gas drilling using high-volume hydraulic fracturing. Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow (August 9, 2011)
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