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Hydraulic fracturing of shale formations to extract natural gas has no direct connection to reports of groundwater contamination, based on evidence reviewed in a study released by the Energy Institute at The University of Texas at Austin.

The study, released at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Vancouver, British Columbia, found that many problems ascribed to hydraulic fracturing are related to processes common to all oil and gas drilling operations, such as casing failures or poor cement jobs.
 
University researchers also concluded that many reports of contamination can be traced to above-ground spills or other mishandling of wastewater produced from shale gas drilling, rather than from hydraulic fracturing per se, said Charles "Chip" Groat, an Energy Institute associate director who led the project.
 
"These problems are not unique to hydraulic fracturing," he said.
 
The research team examined evidence contained in reports of groundwater contamination attributed to hydraulic fracturing in three prominent shale plays — the Barnett Shale in North Texas; the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, New York and portions of Appalachia; and the Haynesville Shale in western Louisiana and northeast Texas.
 
The report identifies regulations related to shale gas development and evaluates individual states' capacity to enforce existing regulations. In addition, university researchers analyzed public perceptions of hydraulic fracturing, as derived from popular media, scientific literature and online surveys.
 
"Our goal was to provide policymakers a foundation for developing sensible regulations that ensure responsible shale gas development," Groat said. "What we've tried to do is separate fact from fiction."
 
Faculty members from across The University of Texas at Austin campus participated in the research, which the Energy Institute funded. The Environmental Defense Fund also assisted in developing the scope of work and methodology for the study.

Groat said researchers will supplement the study released Thursday with an examination of reports relating to atmospheric emissions and seismic activity attributed to hydraulic fracturing, which have emerged as significant issues of concern in recent months.
 
Hydraulic fracturing involves the high-pressure injection of water, sand and chemicals into a shale bed, which causes the rock to shatter, releasing natural gas. The practice has been in use for decades but has come under scrutiny in recent years from environmentalists and others who fear it poses a threat to public health.
 
Other findings from the Energy Institute study include:
•Natural gas found in water wells within some shale gas areas (e.g., Marcellus) can be traced to natural sources and probably was present before the onset of shale gas operations.
 •Although some states have been proactive in overseeing shale gas development, most regulations were written before the widespread use of hydraulic fracturing.
 •Media coverage of hydraulic fracturing is decidedly negative, and few news reports mention scientific research related to the practice.
 •Overall, surface spills of fracturing fluids pose greater risks to groundwater sources than from hydraulic fracturing itself.
 •The lack of baseline studies in areas of shale gas development makes it difficult to evaluate the long-term, cumulative effects and risks associated with hydraulic fracturing.
 •Groat also provided an overview of two other Energy Institute initiatives related to the use of hydraulic fracturing in shale gas development.

The first project, which will commence in April, is a detailed case study focusing on claims of groundwater contamination in North Texas' Barnett Shale. The research will entail an examination of various aspects of shale gas development, including site preparation, drilling, production, and handling and disposal of flow-back water. Researchers also will identify and document activities unrelated to shale gas development that have resulted in water contamination. It will also assess the quantity of fresh groundwater used in shale gas development and evaluate ways to reduce the amount.
 
A second project, currently under development, would include a field and laboratory investigation of whether hydrological connectivity exists between water in the units above and below the shale unit being fractured as a result of the fracturing process. As envisioned, the project calls for university researchers to conduct field sampling of hydraulic fracturing fluid, flow-back water, produced water, and water from aquifers and other geologic units within the Barnett Shale.
 

Dear Friends, Coalition Leaders, Landowners, and Natural Gas Supporters Everywhere,
 
Since the last time I sent out a newsletter a lot of interesting and positive news has come our way that I’d like to share with you now.
 
First of all, a new pipeline has been proposed to move gas from the production fields of northeast PA to the NY Capital region. From there it will connect to lines that will take the gas to New England markets where dwindling imports of Canadian NG need to be replaced to keep businesses running, lights lit, and homes warm.
 
This is good news! It will create some short term jobs and trickle down as workers spend and invest their pay in areas that so desperately need economic opportunity. It will also help to balance the supply-demand imbalance. Most importantly it will create infrastructure that NY will need to move gas to market.
 
In broader terms it is yet another indication that America’s energy future will have NG playing a huge role and NY will not sit on the sidelines but rather will contribute to that future.
 
On the individual landowners level a more cautious warning needs to be issued though.
 
Already land men and surveyors are asking landowners to sign survey agreements. Anyone asked to sign any agreement should not sign it until they have consulted with an attorney who is experienced in Oil and Gas, Leasing, and Easement matters. Also please contact local coalition leaders so they are aware of the activity. If there is not a coalition in your area please contact the JLCNY. Finally, please contact your neighbors and alert them to the need for caution. What seems like a simple straight forward agreement could have adverse effects far into the future.
 
Over all this is a great opportunity. However only by reacting smartly and working together can we make this a win-win-win situation for us, our communities, and the pipeline operators. Please do not try to go this alone. Please communicate with your neighbors, coalition leaders, and a qualified attorney before acting.
 
Second of all, Governor Cuomo was reported to indicate that the time frame for completing the review of the dSGEIS comments and issuing a decision is months away, not years. DEC Commissioner Martens was reported to have made similar supportive comments. The articles relating these comments are on the JLCNY website (www.jlcny.org/site). Go there to find these and many other great articles. While there please be sure to check out the information accessed by clicking on the banners that cycle at the top of the articles. These are new and there is a lot of fantastic factual information to be seen there.
 
Finally, the JLCNY is kicking off some great new educational efforts. We’re starting with a new presentation about how the Ad Valorem taxes that gas companies pay will benefit local towns, schools, and highway departments. We will be showing this to elected and appointed officials at all levels of government. However, anyone who belongs to any civic, professional, religious, institutional, governmental, business, or social group that would like to learn more about these tax benefits or safe and responsible natural gas development in general should contact a local coalition leader or the JLCNY.
 
These are important messages to share and will require a lot of handouts and some presentation equipment to fight the misinformation and hysteria that the anti-gas crowds have been spreading around. Any contributions you can spare or have saved in your envelope (suggested a few newsletters ago) would help us to get these important supplies and spread the facts to more people faster. To support the JLCNY's Natural Gas education and advocacy efforts go to the donate button on the left side of  the JLCNY homepage (www.jlcny.org/site) or mail your check or money order to:
 
JLCNY, Inc.
PO Box 2839
Binghamton NY  13902
 
As always any support you can provide will be greatly appreciated!
 
Warmest Regards,
Dan Fitzsimmons, President
Joint Landowners Coalition of New York, Inc.
 
P.S. Please share this newsletter with any and all of your friends and family. The more that know, the better!
 

This is a very important survey and all gas supporters should fill this out and show our support. 

Subject: New York State Assembly - Member Section

http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=126&sh=story&story=45814#.TynSMvvVfq4.email

Fracking: Financial Fuel for America's Future

• By Jet Parker
• Jan 31, 2012

One of the most robust industries in the U.S. is driven by oil and gas production. A 2011 PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report for the American Petroleum Institute noted that the oil and natural gas industry currently supplies more than 60 percent of the nation’s total energy demand, more than 99 percent of the fuel used by American vehicles, supports more than 9.2 million jobs, and contributes to 7.5 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product.

So, why is an industry so critical to our future and our economy at odds with environmental groups?

There are various reasons. No single answer will resolve the problem. However, using an environmentally friendly chemical may change how consumers, political leaders and environmentalists view one sector of the industry: hydraulic fracturing, or, fracking. In an effort to discern fracking fact from fracking sensationalism, oil and natural gas leaders must band together for the future of energy and apply environmentally friendly chemicals to the hydraulic fracturing process.

What is fracking? Essentially, it is the process of injecting sand and a chemical mix under high pressure through well pipelines to creature fractures in shale that will release natural gas reserves that otherwise would be difficult to extract. The chemicals used during this process are primarily needed to kill the bacteria and control the growth of odor and slime-producing microorganisms that clog the frac spaces and hinder the flow of gas or oil. Additionally, the product reduces the sessile bacteria that can degrade or corrode pipelines.

Concerns about fracking primarily revolve around the biocides used in the process and their impact on area water, land, crops and local populations. This is especially true in regards to well operations that may have experienced chemical spills, well blowouts, leaking wells and other accidents that result in the release of fracking chemicals.

Fracking is important to consumers, not just well operators. According to a 2004 independent National Association of Corrosion Engineers report, the cost of the bacteria results in losses totaling tens of millions of dollars per event and an estimated $100 million-plus annually to the industry. These costs eventually impact the consumer at the pump. Further, developing shale gas improves the economy thus the consumers’ ability to pay for fuel at the pump. A December 2011 PwC report noted that shale gas development through 2025 would significantly impact U.S. manufacturing and chemical industries by them to lower natural gas expenses by as much as $11.6 billion, to drive demand for their products and to help them employ approximately one million more workers.

Instead of attacking the fracking industry, Elite Fluids Recycling (EFR) and Integrity Industries collaborated to attack the problem. Their solution is a fracking fluid called SteriFrac. It is a 100 percent green, pH neutral biocide that is non-combustible, non-flammable and non-corrosive; thus, making it safe for groundwater, land and workers using the solution during the fracking process.

What makes SteriFrac effective and safe is that it essentially mimics a natural, bacteria-killing biocide (hypochlorous acid) found in the human body. To clarify, when we cut our finger and it becomes infected due to the spread of bacteria within the cut, our white blood cells release neutrophils to the infected area. The neutrophils then release hypochlorous acid (HCLO), a body-generated bacteria killer. SteriFrac is essentially a manmade, concentrated version of HCLO so it is 100 percent green, lethal to bacteria.

The EPA and FDA approved SteriFrac for use as an effective, eco-friendly biocide. In fact, the EPA’s stringent evaluation of the product resulted in a toxicity rating that is so low (essentially below the best rating of IV) that no requirement was implemented to include toxicity information on the label. SteriFrac is an eco-friendly alternative during the hydraulic fracturing process, the product is also ideal for treating sour wells, flood injection water, water-treatment plants and gas storage wells to control the production of microorganisms that produce odors and slime. Oil and gas companies in three states are applying SteriFrac as a fracking biocide that will protect area water supplies, too.

Resolving the conflict associated with hydraulic fracturing in America is not just a sound environmental decision, it is an economically critical one. While oil and gas operators are threatened to reduce production or in some cases, shut down, demand is still on the rise. The answer isn’t cutting off our energy sources; it is running them smarter; operating them in a fashion that is environmentally sound.
 

Dear Friends, Landowners, and Natural Gas Supporters Everywhere,

The new year is only beginning and already anti-gas efforts are starting in Albany! We just learned about a very dangerous bill two days ago. Hopefully we can nip it in the bud before it has a chance to be seriously considered.

The threat is a bill that would allow your local township to ban natural gas development in your area in spite of all the efforts the DEC has put into making NY the safest and most responsible place to do so. This bill is bad for four reasons.

First, your right to have your minerals extracted could be stripped away if your town officials bow to the emotional cries of misinformed NIMBY protesters supported by out of town activists and their well funded anti-drilling groups. Not only would you suffer, but your entire town would be deprived of the jobs, spending, and ad valorem tax revenue that drilling companies would bring to your area and school district. Meanwhile just a few miles away in a neighboring town where leaders and landowners support it, gas development would bring prosperity.

Second, even if your town supports gas development, if other towns near you ban efforts gas companies might not come to your area either. You would be landlocked out of leasing your property, especially if it is near the town border line.

Third, this will lead to lawsuits against towns. Defending a ban will cost a town money that taxpayers will have to cover. You may have to retain an attorney to sue your town for your taken mineral rights. In a cruel irony you would pay for your attorney while your tax dollars pay for the town's defense attorney!

Fourth, this bill has many negative consequences that will directly impact economic development and job creation. It will add another layer of unnecessary regulatory road blocks to any type of economic development and job creation. It will lead to a crazy patchwork of local regulations created not by well informed reason, but by emotional knee jerk reactions. This precedent could eventually adversely affect any and all activities and businesses currently regulated at the state level. Regulatory uniformity would be replaced with chaos. Regulations could be changed every time a town board changes. All of NY's communities would suffer as businesses confused by the variety of local rules find it more and more difficult to be in NY.

This is truly a bill to be put down strong and fast. It is time to say "New York IS open to business and economic development!" and to stop the message that “NY is open only to businesses that NIMBY's Choose”.

And here's the first step in doing that...

We need to encourage the sponsor of the bill, Senator James Seward, not to introduce it. To his credit he is giving you an opportunity to tell him so! Please complete his survey found at this web page...

http://www.nysenate.gov/webform/help-establish-senator-sewards-legislative-agenda-2012.

We strongly encourage every single NY landowner, worker, resident, and business owner to answer question number three "NO" on this survey since the bill will hurt each and every one of us! Once you have completed the survey be sure to submit it and then return back to the survey page to have another supporter complete it. If your family members don't have the time or means to complete the survey you can do it for them (with their permission and knowledge of course). Yes, please be sure to have all of your family members complete the survey. And get your friends to do it too! It will not take more than a minute and it is free. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

If you cannot access the web page linked to above please open the attached file by clicking here and print it to have a paper copy of the survey. Complete it and send it to Sen. Seward's office. The instructions and Sen. Seward's address are on the printout to make it easy for you.

Thanks for your support on this important action item. A little action now will go a long ways towards preventing the need for much harder, more time consuming, and costly efforts later on.

Warmest Regards,

Dan Fitzsimmons, President
Joint Landowners Coalition of New York, Inc.
 

Dear Friends, Landowners, and Natural Gas Supporters Everywhere,
 
The new year is only beginning and already anti-gas efforts are starting in Albany! We just learned about a very dangerous bill two days ago. Hopefully we can nip it in the bud before it has a chance to be seriously considered.
 
The threat is a bill that would allow your local township to ban natural gas development in your area in spite of all the efforts the DEC has put into making NY the safest and most responsible place to do so. This bill is bad for four reasons.
 
First, your right to have your minerals extracted could be stripped away if your town officials bow to the emotional cries of misinformed NIMBY protesters supported by out of town activists and their well funded anti-drilling groups. Not only would you suffer, but your entire town would be deprived of the jobs, spending, and ad valorem tax revenue that drilling companies would bring to your area and school district. Meanwhile just a few miles away in a neighboring town where leaders and landowners support it, gas development would bring prosperity.
 
Second, even if your town supports gas development, if other towns near you ban efforts gas companies might not come to your area either. You would be landlocked out of leasing your property, especially if it is near the town border line.
 
Third, this will lead to lawsuits against towns. Defending a ban will cost a town money that taxpayers will have to cover. You may have to retain an attorney to sue your town for your taken mineral rights. In a cruel irony you would pay for your attorney while your tax dollars pay for the town's defense attorney!
 
Fourth, this bill has many negative consequences that will directly impact economic development and job creation. It will add another layer of unnecessary regulatory road blocks to any type of economic development and job creation. It will lead to a crazy patchwork of local regulations created not by well informed reason, but by emotional knee jerk reactions. This precedent could eventually adversely affect any and all activities and businesses currently regulated at the state level. Regulatory uniformity would be replaced with chaos. Regulations could be changed every time a town board changes. All of NY's communities would suffer as businesses confused by the variety of local rules find it more and more difficult to be in NY.
 
This is truly a bill to be put down strong and fast. It is time to say "New York IS open to business and economic development!" and to stop the message that “NY is open only to businesses that NIMBY's Choose”.
 
And here's the first step in doing that...
 
We need to encourage the sponsor of the bill, Senator James Seward, not to introduce it. To his credit he is giving you an opportunity to tell him so! Please complete his survey found at this web page...
 
http://www.nysenate.gov/webform/help-establish-senator-sewards-legislative-agenda-2012
 
We strongly encourage every single NY landowner, worker, resident, and business owner to answer question number three "NO" on this survey since the bill will hurt each and every one of us! Once you have completed the survey be sure to submit it and then return back to the survey page to have another supporter complete it. If your family members don't have the time or means to complete the survey you can do it for them (with their permission and knowledge of course). Yes, please be sure to have all of your family members complete the survey. And get your friends to do it too! It will not take more than a minute and it is free. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
 
If you cannot access the web page linked to above please open the attached file and print it to have a paper copy of the survey. Complete it and send it to Sen. Seward's office. The instructions and Sen. Seward's address are on the printout to make it easy for you.
 
Thanks for your support on this important action item. A little action now will go a long ways towards preventing the need for much harder, more time consuming, and costly efforts later on.
 
Warmest Regards,
Dan Fitzsimmons, President
Joint Landowners Coalition of New York, Inc.
 
 

New York Post Updated: Mon., Dec. 5, 2011, 12:20 AM Fracking in NY: death by

1,000 stalls?

By ABBY WISSE SCHACHTER

The DEC is taking too long, and paying too much heed to disingenuous critics, in issuing rules to allow the key process of "fracking" - a k a hydraulic fracturing, which involves forcing water and chemicals at high pressure into shale-rock formations to release natural gas.

Last week, the DEC announced it's extending for another 30 days the public-comment period on its proposed fracking rules. This, after already stretching the period from 60 days to 90 days - and after many hearings have turned out more like Occupy Wall Street protests than a sober assessment of safe and effective drilling rules.

The DEC's latest delay dismayed the pro-fracking side. "While today's extension of the comment period may seem inconsequential to some, it is in fact a continuation of the existing four-year ban on economic opportunity for upstate New York," declared Brad Gill, executive director of the Independent Oil & Gas Association of New York.

It's not just industry.

"New Yorkers need energy to live and work, and tapping into the vast potential in the Marcellus and Utica shales will help our economy by reducing the high cost of energy," said Dean Norton, New York Farm Bureau president.

Robert Nichols, a Steuben County legislator and a town supervisor in Tuscarora, chimed in, "We're hurting for jobs. We need this type of activity to create jobs and put people to work."

The DEC claims it wants to give everyone a chance to voice their concerns about the drilling rules. But offering so-called experts like actor Mark Ruffalo the platform to demand that New York abandon natural-gas drilling in favor of solar power is a waste of time.

Nor does it do anything about the problems with the DEC rules. Its proposed regulations - including severe limits on where fracking can be done and a complex and drawn-out permitting process - seem designed to discourage investment by major oil and gas players.

Geologist John Conrad says the rules would make New York uncompetitive in gas drilling. "The DEC claims that . . . only 15 percent of the Marcellus Shale play [would be] inaccessible to drilling," he explains, "but I've looked at areas currently leased by oil and gas operators, and as much as

100 percent of a tract can fall under those restrictions."

Meanwhile, the DEC wants operators to apply to the state Department of Transportation for "road use" around any drill site - rather than just working with local government. And they might have to do that after getting a drilling permit. More time, more red tape and more risk that you won't get all the necessary permits after months of time and money for lawyers.

Cathy Ann Kenny of the New York State Petroleum Council, a trade group, warns that, with the rules as written, "I can't anticipate that [gas drilling] would happen to the extent that it is happening in Pennsylvania because it wouldn't be as profitable." She says companies have cut back or closed their New York operations.

When Cuomo took office, his message to the DEC and Commissioner Joe Martens was clear: Get rules for fracking done right, but get them done. Instead, the DEC has taken a kitchen-sink approach toward the rules: It's addressing every "fear" that the ideologues can dream up - making fracking so "safe"

that little of it will get done.

Yet fracking is under way with great effectiveness, huge economic benefits and no environmental destruction in Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Texas and elsewhere. Instead of more hearings, maybe Martens and Cuomo could visit Pennsylvania to witness firsthand the full restaurants and overbooked hotels thanks to drilling - that is, to see the opportunity they're now poised to deny New York.

Abby Wisse Schachter authors The Post's politics blog Capitol Punishment (nypost.com/blogs/capitol).

awschachter@nypost.com

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Read more:

http://coalitionconnection.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=5c8dc6a301fdcd

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stalls_wQpwT7jdxhc3ki1TtLHeAK#ixzz1foe4gL9V

Dear Natural Gas Supporters Everywhere,

(Please circulate this to any and all pro-gas supporters as soon as you receive this.)

Today brought all of us some more good news!

The NY Times issued an article speculating that the moratorium might be lifted. Preferring to avoid such guessing games in favor of sticking to more verifiable information, I mention the NYT article to illustrate the anticipation that is growing over the fate of developing NY's Natural Gas and the release of the dSGEIS. Also it serves as a backdrop for the more meaningful information that was released by the DEC late this afternoon.

The DEC issued a four page document titled "New Recommendations Issued in Hydraulic Fracturing Review". A copy of that article is available for viewing on the JLCNY website (look for a home page article called "DEC Releases Document" which will be posted soon after this correspondence is sent) or by clicking here. Nobody has been able to do more than skim through the article so far, but we will be reviewing it very thoroughly with our consultant as soon as possible and will determining how it addresses landowners' concerns.

But even a fast reading shows that the document brings us all a step closer to seeing natural gas developed in a safe, responsible, and timely manner in NY. Development is not being wholesale obstructed!!

This is great news!!!

Since the dSGEIS release is anticipated soon, we urge you to pay close attention as events unfold. We'll be distributing more information as event warrant.

And as for the NYT article, given how inaccurately the Times has covered the Natural Gas issue so far I can only assume they're once again looking to create a sensationalistic story, regardless of whether or not the facts support it, to boost their flagging readership. I'll wait for the DEC, Governor Cuomo, or other credible sources to tell me when the moratorium will be lifted.

Sincerely,

Dan Fitzsimmons, President

Joint Landowners Coalition of New York, Inc.

Dear Natural Gas Supporters Everywhere,

Please circulate this to any and all pro-gas supporters as soon as you read this.

It is almost time for the dSGEIS to be released on July 1, 2011!

This is a great reason to celebrate! This is a victory for us!

However the release will bring us a new set of challenges that we need to address or our victory will be snatched away from us. Those opposed to Natural Gas are already lobbying the Governor asking him to add more studies and reviews to the SGEIS that would take up to five more years to finish. These are nothing more than stall tactics that will drive our area into further economic despair and ruin.

It is up to you to tell Governor Cuomo that further delays are not acceptable. It is up to you to suggest the means to completing the review and release of the SGEIS quickly and efficiently. It is up to you to tell the Governor now before he bows to the pressure and mis-information that the anti-gas protestors are flooding him with on a daily basis.

Fortunately we’ve made it simple to do all that in one quick step!

All you have to do is open the file linked here. Then print it out, and mail it to the address at the top of the letter. Then print out a bunch of copies of the letter for other supporters to sign and mail in as well. Keep in mind that everybody should send in their own letter. Please do not co-sign!

Please do this today. It is important that Governor Cuomo consider the information that is in the letter as he decides how the next steps in the dSGEIS review and finalization will be conducted.

Thank you for attending to this important matter right now and for sharing copies with other supporters.

Sincerely,
Dan Fitzsimmons, President
Joint Landowners Coalition of New York, Inc.

Starting Monday morning we need every single person possible to call the following Senators at each number listed farther below and tell them each of them the following 4 important points...

1.   A moratorium is not needed. There is no need to put 5,000 people out of work that has been performed safely for decades.

2.   Let the DEC do their job and release the SGEIS without further delay. Facts and Science should be controlling this process.

3.   Do not promote any legislation that would hinder the economic growth this is predicted to create. A recent report by the Manhattan Policy Institute conservatively estimates that 18,000 new jobs and $11.4 billion in economic activity will be created as a result of Marcellus development in New York by 2020.

4.   The science and history proves that the natural gas drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing has been used for decades in New York with zero incidences of water well contamination or adverse health consequences.
 

Here are the names and numbers to call...

Albany Offices:

Sen. Libous:  518-455-2677

Sen. Grisanti: 518-455-3240

Sen. Gallivan: 518-455-3471

Sen. DeFrancisco: 518-455-3511

Sen. Bonacic: 518-455-3181

Sen. Saland: 518-455-2411

Sen. Golden: 518-455-2730

Sen. Seward: 518-455-3131

Sen. Nozzolio: 518-455-2366

Sen. McDonald: 518-455-2381

District Offices:

Sen. Libous: 607-773-8771

Sen. Grisanti: 716-854-8705

Sen. Gallivan: 716-656-8544

Sen. DeFrancisco: 315-428-7632
Sen. Bonacic: 845-344-3311

Sen. Saland: 845-463-0840
Sen. Golden: 718-238-6044
Sen. Seward: 607-432-5524
Sen. Nozzolio: 315-568-9816

Sen. McDonald: 518-274-4616

Thank you for taking this seriously and calling these Senators. Having them support safe and responsible development of natural gas now is crucial if we are to succeed.

Sincerely,

Dan Fitzsimmons, President

Joint Landowners Coalition of New York, Inc.

The JLCNY will be hosting a free public educational meeting related to Natural Gas Development. The May 12th Public Community Forum will be held at the Owego/Apalachin Middle School Auditorium, 3 Sheldon Guile Blvd, Owego (not to be confused with the high school). Doors will open at 6:30 and the program will start at 7:00 PM.
 
Directions:
 
Take North Ave (aka Rte 38 aka Rte 96) north out of the village of Owego
A few blocks after the railroad underpass, turn left on George St.
Turn right on Sheldon Guile Blvd (there’s a sign for Owego/Apalachin School at that intersection)
You’ll see the elementary school on your left, but do not turn
You will approach the high school, but continue pass it by following the road as it curves to the right
It will take you to the Middle School
 
There will be 5 speakers presenting on a variey of topics of interest to the public as Natural Gas Activity becomes a reality, an expert panel to field questions, and a moderator to coordinate the evening.
 
Please attend and bring a friend!

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 Subject: NY State Geologist Says Hydrofracing Damages Exaggerated

this Article is a postive indication that the New York State DEC will proceed to issue the final Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement which will allow high volume hydrofracing and which will result in increased gas company interest in the Vestal Coalition. 

Scientist says the spin is on
James M. Odato
Updated 07:58 a.m., Monday, March 14, 2011

State government's top scientist on the underground features of New York has never weighed in on the contentious matter of drilling in the great Marcellus shale layers stretching beneath a big part of upstate. Until now.

"The worst spin on the worst incidents are treated as if it's going to be the norm here," said Taury Smith, the state geologist, a self-described liberal Democrat more concerned with global warming than extraction of
natural gas from one of the largest sources available in the United States. "This could really help us fight climate change; this is a huge gift, this shale." He said he has been examining the science of hydrofracturing the shale for
three years and has found no cases in which the process has led to groundwater contamination, although several portrayals by anti-fracking groups and featured in the press have raised concerns about underground pools being harmed because of drilling.

"Those are exaggerated problems; each incident wasn't the result of hydro-fracking. There were incidents of groundwater contamination near frack sites, but they were unrelated," Smith said. He said the industry should be
strictly monitored by the Department of Environmental Conservation, and should be encouraged to move the nation away from coal-fired power and to he more environmentally friendly natural gas. "I'm for a strong regulation by DEC. They have no vested interest. The environmental groups have a vested interest. The companies have a huge
profit at stake, so I wouldn't trust them either," Smith, who works for the State Museum said. "If there's one group you can trust it's the DEC.", Former DEC Commissioner Alexander "Pete" Grannis, who now is the first deputy comptroller, said he agrees with Smith that the dangers of fracking are overblown. He thinks the DEC is on course to set solid regulations. Smith said the issue has been a major money-maker for some environmental organizations who have used it to raise funds for their treasuries. Allowing fracking, he added, would be a huge boost for New York job creation and for
income and business tax revenues. A potential "severance tax" like those in other states that are assessed on the industry for extracting the gas could be another boon to the state, he said. Smith said the average drilling complex used 8.4 million gallons per day of water in the Susquehanna River basin, compared to 20 million per day for golf courses.

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Fracking the new Y2K-- Fear Factor.

The second hand seemed to take forever. It was 11:58 pm, December 31, 1999. In exactly two more minutes America as we knew it would change forever! Communications and power would come to a halt. Meeting after meeting, experts expounded on how to prepare for disaster: food, water, toiletries, spare fuel, generator, cash.. The mainstream press preached what IF!

Three seconds, Two, One .. Nothing! TV still on? Radio still on? Electric still on? Phone still working?

But how could this be? They said the computers would fail and everything would tumble. The sun came up. The birds were singing to greet the new millennium, and the newspaper was delivered on time. The good news was, food pantries reported record intakes of canned goods.

This was a story for the history books. So what happened to all those folks promoting the fear factor and spewing gloom and doom?

They have resurfaced this time to follow another misguided mission, a new cause that put them in the attention arena again. A seed was planted. "What If "your water was polluted by FRACKING FLUID! WHAT IF WHAT IF!

This has caught on in most counties due to the well-funded folks against Natural gas. What folks against natural gas development cant understand is why is it people in Chenango County are not following like sheep? Maybe because the residents here were some of the first to unite into landowner coalitions and do proper investigation and education prior to the hijacking of the Internet and news media on this subject.Or could it be we have had natural gas companies drilling here for the past 15 years. We haven't had any water contamination from Hydraulic fracturing.

Like Y2K we can say "what if?"! Yes, you can find all sorts of information on "FRACKING" contamination, but you will not find any confirmed contamination in any state directly linked to another term "Hydraulic Fracturing".

It's amazing (or not) how many people fall again to the likes of the Y2K created fear. Lets look back in history at Orson Wells WAR OF THE WORLDS. We laugh at it today and say, "Can you believe people actually fell for that?" Yes because they still do, look at the movies like Gasland . Movies, hearsay, gossip and Self proclaimed experts in traveling fear shows seems to be considered research today, by the person on the street on up to our public servants that hold some of the highest positions in N.Y. What ever happened to unbiased, non-agenda-driven, verifiable research and solid facts? "What If" use to be a creative expression for going forward. It begs the question, have we progressed? I hope the Natural Gas industry concentrates its efforts here in Chenango County and the southern tier! I like the idea of watching a community growing and our kids earning a good living close to home.

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