Schneiderman threatens to sue feds

ALBANY – New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman Monday put the federal government on notice that if it doesn’t commit to conducting a full environmental review of the impacts of fracking on the Delaware River Basin, he will sue.

There are concerns that fracking to harvest natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation could pollute the New York City watershed and Delaware River Basin areas including the counties of Greene, Ulster, Sullivan, Orange, Delaware, Schoharie, Chenango and Broome.

Late last year the Delaware River Basin Commission proposed regulations allowing for natural gas development by means of hydrofracking. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is currently revising a draft supplemental generic impact statement assessing environmental impacts associated with fracking.

“Both the law and common sense dictate that the federal government must fully assess the impact of its actions before opening the door to gas fracking in New York,” said Schneiderman. “New Yorkers are correctly concerned about fracking’s potential dangers to their environment, health and communities, and will use the full authority of my office, including aggressive legal action, to ensure the federal government is forced to address those issues.”

The DRBC, as a federally designated agency, is required by law to conduct a full review of the environmental impacts of actions that may cause significant environmental impacts, the attorney general noted. His demand is contained in a letter sent Monday to agencies that decide policy for the federal government as a member of the DRBC. Led by the US Army Corps of Engineers, the federal agencies include the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Parks Service and the US EPA.