EPA Comments on NY Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling Environmental Impact Statement

EPA Submits Comments on New York State Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Drilling Environmental Impact Statement

Release date: 12/30/2009
Contact Information: (News Media Only) Bonnie Bellow (212) 637-3660, bellow.bonnie@epa.gov

 (New York, N.Y. ) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today submitted its comments to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation on its September 2009 draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (dSGEIS) on horizontal drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing in New York State. The draft environmental impact statement is required by the State Environmental Quality Review Act in order for the state to review and process permit applications for the horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing of natural gas bearing shales, including the Marcellus Shale. EPA’s comments were submitted during the public comment period on the dSGEIS, which closes on December 31, 2009.

EPA’s comments can be found at http://www.epa.gov/region2/spmm/r2nepa.htm#r2letters.

A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT STRENGTHENS CAUSE TO PREVENT GAS DRILLING

A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT STRENGTHENS OUR CAUSE TO PREVENT GAS DRILLING USING HYDRAULIC FRACTURING UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF THE CURRENT DSGEIS – YOU IMMEDIATE ACTION CAN HELP US GET THIS DONE!

Today New York City “called on the DEC to rescind the draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (dSGEIS) that was released on September 30, 2009 because it does not adequately address the risks of drilling in the New York City watershed, which supplies drinking water for nine million New Yorkers." For the full press release issued by New York City, please click here: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/press_releases/09-15pr.shtml

Catskill Mountainkeeper, The Natural Resource Defense Council, Toxic Targeting and a myriad of other like minded organizations have been saying that not only does the dSGEIS not address the risks to the nine million people living in New York City, it does not address the risks for all New Yorkers. The dSGEIS is fatally flawed and must be withdrawn.

With New York City’s weight being thrown behind our cause now is the moment for all of us to act and achieve our immediate goal of preventing the DEC from authorizing gas drilling in New York State based on the dSGEIS.

There is one person who has the power withdraw the dSGEIS to prevent the catastrophic risks it represents. That person is Governor David A. Paterson. It is critical that as many of you as possible tell the Governor that “Drilling Isn’t Safe”, the dSGEIS Draft report must abandoned and the DEC needs to start over.

Please email Governor David A. Paterson at: governor@chamber.state.ny.us and bcc: info@catskillmountainkeeper.org so we can maintain a list of all contacts. Or you can fax Governor Paterson at 518-474-1513. To have maximum impact, send the Governor a copy of your email by snail mail. Envelopes arriving at his office have the greatest effect.

The address is:

Governor David A. Paterson
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224


In addition please click here http://www.catskillmountainkeeper.org/node/1069 to send this alert to as many other people as possible so we can send the strongest message.

We know we are asking you to take action right in the middle of the busy holiday season. But sharing your concerns with the Governor right now will be the most powerful action any of us can take since this fight began.

We wish you and your family and friends very happy holidays and a hopefully healthier New Year if we can get this done.

Ramsay Adams, Executive Director of Catskill Mountainkeeper


Here are some important points to help you write to Governor Paterson:

Dear Governor Paterson:

* It is critically important to protect the State’s drinking water supplies and other irreplaceable resources that are essential to public health protection and the state’s long-term economic prosperity.
* The use of hydraulic fracturing has led to known or suspected contamination in water supplies across the country, including right next door in Pennsylvania.
* The DEC is woefully understaffed to cope with existing natural gas drilling problems. Only 17 staff are available to regulate nearly 7,000 existing natural gas wells. New gas drilling permits must not be issued until the SGEIS solves this problem.
* Please direct DEC to set aside its current draft document and commit to a twelve month moratorium on the issuance of any new permits for hydraulic fracturing in New York State.
* Please request that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region II convene a panel of experts on water quality to analyze proposals for hydraulic fracturing in New York State and assess the potential impacts of such activities on water resources in New York, utilizing the precautionary principle as the foundation for its analysis.
* Please direct DEC to develop a new draft environmental impact statement that contains all appropriate and legally-required analyses and to propose a comprehensive rule-making package that would accompany the new draft and that would be designed to fully insure the protection of the state’s most valuable water and other natural resources.
* We firmly believe that it would be an error of historic proportions if the DEC were to push through an industrial hydraulic fracturing gas drilling plan in anything like its present form.

DRBC Releases Results of Flood Analysis Model

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) reported that its review of the 2004, 2005, and 2006 storm events utilizing the new Delaware River Basin Flood Analysis Model demonstrate that widespread river flooding would have occurred in each instance regardless of the pre-event storage condition in the upper basin reservoirs. The findings were announced today by DRBC staff at a public meeting of the Delaware River Basin Interstate Flood Mitigation Task Force held in Flemington, N.J.

The whole news release is available to raed at:

NYC urges ban on shale gas drilling in watershed | Reuters

NYC urges ban on shale gas drilling in watershed | Reuters

New Stream Restoration Project

The first stage in a massive stream restoration project, a FUDR funded study recently completed by LandStudies Inc., lays out plans for the total rehabilitation of Sands and Cadosia Creeks in the Town of Hancock. This project will benefit habitat for the fishery, mitigate flooding for inhabitants of the watershed, and serve as a pilot program for streams throughout the region.

::click here to Watch a Video:: video

Fish & Boat Commission to Inspect Marcellus Shale Drilling Sites

Harrisburg, PA – Law enforcement officers and biologists with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) will begin conducting field inspections of active drilling sites for Marcellus Shale gas wells beginning next month, the agency announced today.

“Until now our agency has only reacted to those drilling sites where a problem resulted in material entering a waterway or wetlands,” said Dr. Douglas Austen, PFBC executive director. “We are now taking a proactive approach to identify possible problems at a drilling site and to work with the company to ensure necessary measures are in place to minimize the possibility of damaging nearby waterways.”

The agency will focus on those well sites that are in close proximity to Commonwealth waterways, including wetlands. The inspections will determine if adequate measures are in place at the drilling site and access roads to prevent damage to the nearby aquatic resources. As part of the inspections, PFBC staff will also be obtaining water quality data from several locations in the nearby waterway.

“The commission recognizes the need for and importance of the development of the Marcellus Shale for gas production and believes in can be accomplished in a manner that provides protection to Pennsylvania’s valuable aquatic resources,” Austen added. “Because of the importance of this issue, waterways conservation officers and field staff have set aside other job duties and functions for a period of time in order to conduct these field inspections.”

More than 150 active well sites have been identified so far for inspections, which are expected to take place over the next several months.

The mission of the Fish and Boat Commission is to protect, conserve, and enhance the Commonwealth’s aquatic resources and provide fishing and boating opportunities. For more information about fishing and boating in Pennsylvania, please visit our website at www.fishandboat.com.

New York Shad Fishing License

Recreational Marine Fishing Licenses Go on Sale

Licenses Are Available Statewide Via Internet, Telephone and License Sales Outlets

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today announced that beginning Friday, Sept. 25, recreational marine fishing licenses will be available for sale.

Recreational marine fishing licenses can be purchased via the DEC website, ordered by mail or telephone at 1-86-NY-DECALS (1-866-933-2257) or by visiting any one of DEC's 1,500 license sales outlets statewide.

"New York's coastal waters provide excellent angling opportunities offer anglers a wide variety of species to target, from scup and sea bass to bluefish and striped bass," Commissioner Grannis said. "Realizing that the federal government was going to soon require marine fishing licenses if there were no state requirement in place, New York elected to implement this new license in order to keep the fees here to help fund state conservation programs. While we know this is a big change for the coastal fishing community, this was the best available option for New York. We appreciate the understanding of marine anglers."

Anglers purchasing their license at one of DEC's 1,500 license sales outlets will receive their license and can go fishing immediately. Anglers purchasing their license via the internet will receive a "smart number" and confirming e-mail and anglers purchasing a license via telephone will receive their customer ID number so they can begin fishing immediately and don't have to wait to receive their license in the mail.

Beginning Thursday, Oct. 1, persons 16 years of age and older need to acquire a recreational marine fishing license if they are fishing in the Marine and Coastal District or fishing any water (such as the Hudson River, Delaware River, or Mohawk River and their tributaries) where the angler is fishing for "migratory fish from the sea" (such as striped bass, American shad, hickory shad, blueback herring, alewife). The Marine and Coastal District includes all the waters of the Atlantic Ocean within three nautical miles from the coast and all other tidal waters within the state, including the Hudson River up to the Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge.

The cost for 1-day, 7-day and annual resident licenses are $4, $8, and $10, respectively. The cost for 1-day, 7-day and annual non-resident licenses are $5, $10, and $15, respectively. The cost of a lifetime recreational marine fishing license is $150 and the cost of a lifetime combination fishing and recreational marine fishing license is $450.

All revenues generated from sales of annual, 7-day, and 1-day resident and non-resident recreational marine licenses will be deposited into the Marine Account. The Marine Account is a special sub-account of the Conservation Fund, and, in accordance with State Finance Law, monies in this account shall be available to the DEC specifically for the care, management, protection and enlargement of marine fish and shellfish resources. All revenues generated from the sales of lifetime recreational marine fishing licenses and lifetime combination fishing and recreational fishing licenses will be deposited into the Fish and Game Trust Account as per State Finance Law. Monies in the fish and game trust account are invested by the State Comptroller and the earned income is transferred into the Conservation Fund to be used for intended purposes.

Commissioner Grannis also encouraged all outdoor enthusiasts to consider purchasing a Habitat/Access Stamp, an optional stamp that helps support the DEC's efforts to conserve habitat and increase public access for fish and wildlife-related recreation. This year's stamp features a drawing of a pair of playful red fox. Buying a $5 stamp is a way to help conserve New York's fabulous wildlife heritage.

More information about purchasing a Habitat Stamp is available on the DEC website.

Answers to frequently asked questions on recreational marine licenses are available on the DEC website and a marine fishing guide (PDF, 1.19 Mb) is also available on the website.

PUBLIC HEARING ON CHESAPEAKE APPALACHIA, LLC PROPOSED SURFACE WATER WITHDRAWAL PROJECT

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON CHESAPEAKE APPALACHIA, LLC
PROPOSED SURFACE WATER WITHDRAWAL PROJECT
Revised Draft Docket D-2009-20-1*

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC or "Commission") will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 on revised proposed Docket No. D-2009-20-1* for Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC (also, "Chesapeake"). The hearing will be held at the PPL Corporation Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center, 126 PPL Drive, Hawley, Pennsylvania 18428-0122 (link to PPL's web site for driving directions). The hearing will begin at 10:00 a.m. and will continue until all those who wish to speak have had an opportunity to do so. Please refer to the procedures to be used at the hearing appearing below. No other Commission business will be conducted at the September 23, 2009 hearing.

Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC applied to the Commission for approval of a surface water withdrawal project to supply a maximum of 29.99 mg/30 days of water for the applicant's exploration and development of natural gas wells in the State of New York and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Surface water is proposed to be withdrawn from the West Branch of the Delaware River at a location known as the Cutrone Site in Buckingham Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania. The project is located in the Delaware River Watershed within the drainage area of the section of the non-tidal Delaware River known as the Upper Delaware, which is designated as Special Protection Waters.

The Commission held a public hearing on an initial draft of Docket D-2009-20-1 at its business meeting of July 15, 2009 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It heard testimony on the draft docket from approximately 40 witnesses on that date. Voluminous written comment was submitted on or before the July 15 hearing. In light of the high level of public interest in the project, the Commission took no action on the docket on July 15, and on that date it extended the written comment period through July 29, 2009. Approximately 1,200 written comments (excluding petitions) were received on the docket by the close of the comment period. After review and consideration of these comments, the Commission and staff are developing a revised draft docket*, which will be posted on the Commission's web site, DRBC Home, on or before the close of business on Friday, September 11, 2009. Public comment is requested on those aspects of the docket that have been substantively modified. A list of these aspects is found in the Findings section of the revised draft docket, which starts on page 3.

原帖地址: North Eastern Fly Fishing Forums http://www.njflyfishing.com/vBulletin/showthread.php?p=152207
Written comments will be accepted through the close of business on Wednesday, September 30, 2009. Comments should be mailed to Commission Secretary, DRBC, P.O. Box 7360, 25 State Police Drive, West Trenton, NJ 08628-0360. They also may be faxed to "Attn: Commission Secretary" at (609) 883-9522 or emailed to paula.schmitt@drbc.state.nj.us. All written comments must be received by 5 p.m. on September 30 and should include the name, address, and affiliation (if any) of the commenter, along with "Chesapeake Withdrawal" in the subject line.

原帖地址: North Eastern Fly Fishing Forums http://www.njflyfishing.com/vBulletin/showthread.php?p=152207
Additional public records relating to the draft Chesapeake docket are available for review consistent with Article 8 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (RPP) governing public access to records and information. The RPP are also available on the Commission's web site.

Individuals in need of an accommodation as provided for in the Americans with Disabilities Act who wish to attend the hearing should contact the commission secretary directly at 609-883-9500 ext. 203 or through the Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) at 711, to discuss how the Commission can accommodate your needs.

Please note: The earliest occasion on which the commission may act on the draft docket
is at its next business meeting, scheduled for October 22, 2009.