Cuomo Aide: No Timetable on Health Department Fracking Review

There is “not a timetable” on a newly added layer to the state’s review of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, a top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday.

Last week, the state Department of Environmental Conservation asked the Department of Health to review its analysis of the health impacts of hydrofracking and gas drilling, likely delaying a final decision on whether to allow the technique in New York.

In a radio interview Monday, Director of State Operations Howard Glaser said the Health Department’s review is a preemptive move, in part to help prevent lawsuits. The DEC has been criticized extensively by environmental groups, who have said two draft versions of permitting guidelines and regulations for high-volume hydrofracking didn’t do enough to analyze potential health effects.

The state received close to 80,000 comments on drafts of its policy document—known as the Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement—and many called for a more extensive look at medical side effects, Glaser said.