New York May Restart Review of Gas-Drilling Rules
New York State appears to be further slowing its effort to produce rules governing fracking, shorthand for the suite of drilling methods used to extract natural gas from deep shale deposits.
The pressure to drill has fallen sharply along with gas prices, and in the face of inevitable litigation. [Sept. 30, 11:13 p.m. | Updated | Danny Hakim describes the reaction of drilling supporters and foes to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's latest move on fracking.]
The news is on Politics on the Hudson and Shale Gas Review, the blog of Tom Wilber, author of “Under the Surface: Fracking, Fortunes, and the Fate of the Marcellus Shale.” Here’s an excerpt and link to the rest:
New York officials crafting policy to regulate shale gas drilling amid unanswered health concerns will likely re-open the process to public hearings, essentially guaranteeing more momentum for the movement that has effectively stalled the industry’s advancement into the Empire State for more than four years.
Emily DeSantis, a spokeswoman for the Department of Environmental Conservation, said late this afternoon that agency officials expect to begin a new rulemaking process rather than try to meet a Nov. 29 deadline to complete a regulatory overhaul. The news comes a week after DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens announced that the agency will turn part of the review over to the Department of Health Commissioner Nirav Shah to address persistent questions about how shale gas development and high volume hydraulic fracturing will affect public health in communities where it is allowed.
To read the entire article go to: http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/28/new-york-poised-for-fresh-public-review-of-its-fracking-rules/
Share This Post