NY Governor Cuomo and his Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) released High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing Proposed Regulations for public review on December 12, 2012. Comments must be submitted by January 11, 2013.Those concerned about shale-gas extraction by high-volume hydraulic fracturing in NY State need to get busy and submit comments on the proposed regs over the already busy holiday period.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the governor and the DEC!
To clarify what's going on, DEC's Proposed Regulations for High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing are separate and distinct from the SGEIS Permit Guideline Proceedings that have already reviewed by the public and received over 80,000 comments in January, 2012. The Proposed Regulations are also separate from the ongoing Health Impact Assessment, which really should have been completed first and used to inform the Proposed Regulations.
It's a busy time of the year! January 11th will be here in a flash. What's a concerned citizen to do? Here are a couple of suggestions to help you:
- Visit the website 30 Days of Fracking Regs. There you'll find a list of dates from December 12 to January 10, each of which is linked to a specific regulation. Click on a highlighted date, and the regulation will be revealed (in red). Below it (in green) is an explanation of the regulation along with some aspects that you might like to comment on. Scroll down to "Submit Comment on this Regulation Below!" and follow the simple instructions to enter and submit your comments.
- Attend a comment party! Join the good folks at WNY Drilling Defense for a "Lots of Fracking Comments" Party! Pizza will be served too. Write your comments with the help of others present at the Party on Friday, December 21, 2012 at 7 pm at the Network of Religious Communities, 1272 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo. Visit Lots of Fracking Comments Party for more information.
1 comment:
I'd like to give two thumbs up to option 1 (without prejudicing option 2). I have been making comments daily at the "30 Days of Fracking Regs" web site since December 12. Sandra Steingraber, who selects the portion of the proposed regulations to be commented on each day, is a good writer. She clearly explains the issues associated with each portion of the regulations, usually in an entertaining--even humorous--way (although fracking is a deadly serious subject). I have learned a great deal from her explanations, and I have found that her explanations make the process of commenting easy.
One should note that selections and explanations by Steingraber are available at the "30 Days of Fracking Regs" web site only for calendar dates from December 12 to the present. Future dates are grayed out but will become available on each of the indicated dates, just like an Advent calendar.
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