The debate over the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing—commonly known as hydrofracking—continued on Tuesday as State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a lawsuit against the federal government for failing to conduct an environmental review of the process.
“Before any decisions on drilling are made, it is our responsibility to follow the facts and understand the public health and safety effects posed by potential natural gas development,” Schneiderman said. “The federal government has an obligation to undertake the necessary studies, and as I made clear last month, this office will compel it to do so.”
Hydrofracking injects high volumes of water, sand and chemicals are injected into the ground to release latent natural gas. Proponents say the drilling would create new jobs and harness cheaper sources of energy. According to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the Marcellus Shale—which lies beneath parts of Ohio, West Virginia, northeast Pennsylvania and southern New York—holds as much as 516 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. (New York State consumes approximately 1.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas annually.)
However, there are serious environmental safety concerns about hydrofracking. The drilling process requires as much as eight million gallons of water, and there are no disposal sites for the wastewater. The Marcellus Shale is also an integral part of the New York City’s watershed. During the hydrofracking process, dangerous chemicals are used that could contaminate the city’s drinking water.
Due to environmental concerns, former Governor David Paterson signed a moratorium on some types of hydrofracking until July 1 so environmental impacts could be studied.
The potential problems with hydrofracking were highlighted on April 19 when an accident at a drill site in Pennsylvania caused salty, chemically tainted water to flood the area. Since the accident, Governor Andrew Cuomo has requested a deeper review of hydrofracking, according to the Associated Press.
With New York’s potential ban of hydrofracking set to expire next month, Schneiderman is putting the pressure on the federal government to comply with the Natural Environmental Policy Act and conduct a full environmental review.
“The welfare of those living near the Deleware River Basin, as well as the millions of New Yorkers who rely on its pure drinking water each day, will not be ignored,” he said.
While the state agencies are taking a harder stance on hydrofracking, State Senator Joe Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) said the government isn’t doing enough. He said the drilling should be stopped until state agencies and the federal government conducts a thorough review of the environmental impacts. Addabbo has proposed several bills that would stall drilling until reviews are complete.
“Sure we’d love to be more independent for our natural resources,” Addabbo said. “But the process has to be examined. We don’t want to be lazy and regret it.”
by Eric Yun
