BRISTOL PA – The Delaware Riverkeeper condemns a reported plan that Governor Cuomo will allow shale gas drilling and fracking to commence in the State.

Last week, a story in the New York Times revealed that New York is getting ready to approve the Environmental Impact Statement that will allow hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in some counties in New York – mainly in the Southern Tier focusing on Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Steuben and Tioga Counties. These counties are located above the Pennsylvania border and hold the headwaters of the Susquehanna and Delaware River Watersheds. Although no official announcement has been made regarding the Environmental Impact Statement New York has been engaged in for the past three years, the Governor’s office indicated that these counties will be targeted first; the green light may be given as early as this summer.

Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper, soundly criticized the plan stating, “How can Governor Cuomo consider allowing shale gas development when the State’s environmental study is so riddled with holes and unaddressed pollution and public health issues? How can Governor Cuomo allow shale gas drilling in New York when he can see how many citizens and communities are getting sick, hurt and traumatized from the practice in other states? And how can New York pretend it is safe to drill in some counties and not in others — especially when science shows the pollution problems are the result of drilling and fracking shale formations, not where or how deep these well bores go? The political calculus that would allow drilling in some communities while sparing others is dead wrong; it is unethical, immoral, and lacks any basis in sound science,” said van Rossum. “We call on Governor Cuomo to stop this cynical move and address the public health and environmental issues of hydraulic fracturing and drilling in shale formations head on. There is simply no way to frack safely and New York should admit that,” added van Rossum.