WASHINGTON – Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-Hurley) has submitted his own comments to the state DEC about the draft findings of fracturing to draw natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation.

The lawmaker acknowledged the economic benefits of natural gas drilling, but he said the DEC needs to first take a series of additional steps to ensure that hydraulic fracturing does not contaminate drinking water supplies or jeopardize public health.

“There are an awful lot of other things that need to be done to protect the people of this state and to protect it in the context of one of the most significant elements of life, and that is the assurance of pure, clean water for drinking and all the other things we use water for,” he said.

Hinchey proposed 11 steps he believes should be undertaken before drilling is permitted in New York:

• A cumulative impact analysis of natural gas drilling in the Marcellus formation to understand the full impact of drilling;
• A prohibition on the use of toxic chemicals in all fracturing fluids;
• Requiring public disclosure of chemicals used;
• A thorough review of incidents in other states in which gas drilling is alleged to have caused explosions, well contamination;
• Mandate that all baseline well water tests and complaints be handled by the DEC;
• Develop a comprehensive wastewater plan for high volume gas drilling in New York;
• Require on-site processing and reuse of fracturing fluids;
• Extend supplementary reviews with public input;
• Increase the resources and staffing devoted to the permitting and oversight activities of fracking;
• DEC should adopt a phased development approach to the fracking and limit initial gas drilling permits to areas without significant environmental concerns;
• Extend the public comment period for another 90 days.