CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

DEC says it will safeguard environment in quest for gas

Across New York's Southern Tier and Catskill foothills, there is talk about a modern-day gold rush for natural gas. Drillers are hurrying to lease rights from New Yorkers to tap into the Marcellus Shale formation, a rich natural gas reserve that may contain trillions of cubic feet of natural gas worth a fortune.

While this exploration could increase supplies of natural gas, expand the tax base and boost the upstate economy, it can also have significant environmental impacts. In public forums already held across the state, Gov. David A. Paterson's administration has heard the community concerns, particularly about environmental protection.

The Department of Environmental Conservation shares those concerns and is fully committed to ensuring that this drilling will only proceed in an environmentally responsible way.

Gov. Paterson recently approved a bill that extends uniform gas well spacing rules and establishes boundary setbacks to protect the interests of adjacent property owners. This new law has been widely misreported as allowing a new type of drilling, or somehow making it easier to get the environmental permits necessary for drilling. In fact, the new law addresses only well spacing. It authorizes nothing new or in any way reduces the environmental review needed before a drilling permit is issued.

(Click to read entire article)