Hydrofracking roundup: Falling prices, whistleblowers and local bans
Posted by CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE at 3:40 PMThe state Department of Environmental Conservation’s review of hydrofracking labors on, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t seen plenty of news this week in regards to the much-debated gas-extraction process:
The precipitous drop in price has been largely caused by a major increase in domestic shale-gas drilling in Pennsylvania and other states where high-volume hydraulic fracturing has been allowed. We took a look in February at what effect that may have on New York if it gives the green light to the technique. (So far, it hasn’t, but a decision on whether to proceed is expected to come later this year.)
The short story? The low natural-gas prices are expected to slow development in New York, at least initially.
– On Monday, representatives from Frack Action and the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition held a press conference in Albany, calling on DEC employees to “blow the whistle” on anything untoward about the agency’s review of hydrofracking, or about the dangers of the technique itself. You can watch a video of CEC’s Barbara Warren discussing their effort below. – Yesterday, pro-fracking groups held a pair of events. In Binghamton, the Joint Landowners Coalition held a job fair aimed at gigs within the natural-gas industry. About 2,300 people showed up, according to the Press & Sun-Bulletin’s Steve Reilly. The event was held to highlight jobs that could be available—or already are available—if New York allows hydrofracking. (Photo by the PSB’s Rebecca Catlett.)(Click to read the entire article)