In his recent column, Fred LeBrun suggests that an appellate court ruling affirming New York localities' ability to ban drilling and fracking makes it easy for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to approve shale gas drilling statewide ("Frack ruling is far from the last word," May 5).
LeBrun argues that the governor can now allow each locality to decide whether to permit drilling and effectively extricate himself from a difficult decision. But LeBrun fails to address what Governor Cuomo likely knows already: The impact of drilling and fracking cannot be contained within municipal or county lines.
The U.S. Geological Survey has warned New York regulators that upstate drilling could damage the underground aqueducts that deliver drinking water to New York City and that contaminants from drilling operations could leach into underground aquifers as far as 5 miles away. In addition, disposal of toxic wastewater is likely to require transportation far from drilling operations, if it can be disposed of safely at all.
These concerns and others have prompted associations representing thousands of medical professionals, including the Medical Society of the State of New York and the New York State Nurses Association, to push for a comprehensive health impact assessment, not the abbreviated review the Department of Health is conducting.
The court decision has not changed the fact that shale gas drilling remains a high-stakes gamble for New York, and a decision by the governor to let it proceed would have serious consequences if even a handful of communities approve it.
Dusty Horwitt
senior counsel, Environmental Working Group, Washington, D.C.
Wes Gillingham
program director, Catskill Mountainkeeper, Youngsville