'I Still Believe That the Process to Extract Natural Gas is Flawed'

Senator Addabbo Urges Governor Cuomo, DEC, and Elected Officials to Consider Dangers of "Fracking"

Queens, NY – New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens) released the following statement in support of today's City Hall rally calling for a ban on hydrofracking in New York State:

Now that the comment period has ended with regard to the proposed regulations that would govern the permit process for natural gas drilling upstate, the larger task begins with the DEC review of over 40,000 remarks and observations  from individuals who are concerned with protecting the quality of our drinking water. I am hopeful that the DEC and Governor Cuomo hear the fears and anxiety of people across this state when it comes to the issue of hydrofracking.

In the comments I submitted this past November, I stated,”While I am not opposed to other processes of drilling for natural gas, I am concerned for the mixture of chemicals being used to extract this gas from rock formations using the hydrofracking method. I do not want nitrilopropionamide glycol ethers, butoxyethanol, isothiazolin, hemicellulase enzyme, hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, alphatic acid isopropanol, alphatic alcohol polyglycol ether isopropyl alcohol, ammonia persulfate magnesium nitrate, aromatic hydrocarbon mesh sand, aromatic ketones methanol, boric acid mineral spirits, boric oxide monoethanolamine, citric acid petroleum distillates, cristobalite polyethoxylated alkanol, quartz polyethoxylated alkanol, dazomet polyethylene glycol mixture, diatomaceus earth polysaccharide, ethane-diol potassium hydroxide, ethoxylated alcohol, ethoxylated alcohol propan, ethoxylated octylphenol propargyl alcohol, ethylene glycol propylene, ethylhexanol sodium bicarbonate, ferrous sulfate heptahydrate sodium chloride, formaldehyde sodium hydroxide, glutaraldehyde sucrose, tetramethylammonium chloride--or any of the other foreign items found in hydrofracking--anywhere near our state’s water supply.”

I still believe that the process to extract natural gas is flawed and requires extensive guidance from the DEC and from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). I perceive that the concept to drill as soon as possible in New York State is being done in haste, when protests and valid testimony were presented and submitted. Natural gas drilling companies and supporters of this practice have so much to gain from enlisting further input from protestors and impacted individuals from neighboring states, where evaluations of methods and testimony can produce alternative environmentally sound drilling techniques.

Our state cannot seek to create upstate jobs while at the same time create a long-term, harmful condition for people throughout the state.

I respectfully request that Governor Cuomo, the DEC, and elected officials listen and pay attention to the adverse risks known to be present in the hydraulic fracturing techniques.  Unless the process is addressed in a way where our water supply is, with absolute certainty, not susceptible to contamination, that our land is free from toxic chemicals, and our quality of life is not disrupted from frivolous neglectful actions, even then I would wholeheartedly urge the state to proceed with caution.  I believe that if any doubt exists as to the safety of the hydrofracking process, we should not proceed to issue any permits.