CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

The state Department of Environmental Conservation will release its latest draft hydrofracking report on Wednesday, and the length of the public comment period on the document will be announced that day as well, DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens said today.

The department had released a 1,000-page draft in July, but a comment period was put on hold until an outside consultant’s report on the community and socioeconomic impacts of hydrofracking was incorporated into the DEC review.

Yesterday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he hasn’t seen an “adequate reason” to extend the scheduled 60-day comment period, which would start after the DEC report is released next week.

Conservation groups had called on the governor and Martens to extend the period to 180 days. Martens had initially said he was inclined to stick with 60 days because most of the report has been available since July, and said today that a final decision would come Wednesday.

“We’re considering all of the comments we’ve gotten about extending it or shortening it,” Martens said. “And we’re busy now about getting the document out as we said we would on Aug. 31.”