CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

VESTAL -- The Binghamton University Events Center has played host to some major touring acts since it opened in 2004, including folk legend Bob Dylan, rapper Ludacris, and popular bands Green Day and the Foo Fighters.

On Thursday, it expects to host a non-traditional group, but one still expected to attract a large crowd: the Environmental Protection Agency.

About 1,200 people have already registered to attend a public meeting on the EPA's study on hydraulic fracturing, according to the agency, with a large walk-up crowd expected to bolster that number. However, as of Saturday evening, a contract between BU and the EPA hadn't been signed, securing the Events Center as the venue for the meeting. A final decision regarding the venue isn't expected to be made until Monday.

Despite that, all 300 speaking slots have been filled for weeks, with a handful reserved for a few lucky participants who will snatch them up on a first-come, first-served basis on Thursday.

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