CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

A pair of Congressmen—including Rep. Maurice Hinchey—have penned a letter to President Barack Obama, urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to finalize new rules governing air pollution from the oil and natural gas industry.

About 20 members of Congress have signed on to the letter, which originated from Hinchey, an Ulster County Democrat, and Rep. Jared Polis of Colorado. The letter calls for the new emissions standards to be finalized “as soon as possible.”

The new standards would have an impact on gas-drilling operations in Pennsylvania, where companies have used high-volume hydraulic fracturing to tap into the gas-rich Marcellus Shale formation. The technique is not allowed in New York until the state completes its environmental review of the technique, which isn’t expected until later this year.

“New Yorkers from the Southern Tier to the Hudson Valley have listened to the horror stories of families who have seen their air polluted by gas drillers and they don’t like it one bit,” said Hinchey. “We need the President to act immediately to sign off on the proposed air quality standards so that these drillers cannot pollute our air without consequence. We cannot let the rush to drill blind us from the need to ensure the safety of our environment and public health.”

The full text of the letter, courtesy of Hinchey’s office, can be read after the jump.

(Click to read the entire article)