The New York-based Toxics Targeting went through the Department of Environmental Conservation’s own database of hazardous substances spills over the past thirty years. They found 270 cases documenting fires, explosions, wastewater spills, well contamination and ecological damage related to gas drilling. Many of the cases remain unresolved. The findings are contrary to repeated government assurances that existing natural gas well regulations are sufficient to safeguard the environment and public health. The state is considering allowing for gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale watershed, the source of drinking water for 15 million people, including nine million New Yorkers. Guest: Walter Hang, President of Toxics Targeting, an environmental database firm in Ithaca, New York. (More at Democracy Now)
Walter Hang writes:
I just posted data at www.toxicstargeting.com for 270 oil and gas spill spills in New York State that have caused fires, explosions, home evacuations, polluted drinking water wells as well as long-term impacts on forests, streams, wetlands, ponds and other waterways.
You can view video of flammable drinking water in Candor, NY reported by a homeowner “who is concerned about natural gas drilling near him.”
I believe these findings destroy the myth that the Department of Environmental Conservation’s current oil and gas regulations are adequate to safeguard the environment and public health. For that reason, I am asking Governor Paterson to withdraw the dSGEIS.
Dear Sir,
Are you aware that many of the 270 oil and gas spills that you have documented are not involving the Natural Gas and Oil Industry?
Any spills associated with “Texas Brine” “Akzo” “US Salt” and “Occidental” are spills that are associated with the extraction of NaCl (Table Salt) by solution mining.
I would also like to add that many of these reported spills are associated with wells that were drilled, abandoned, or “plugged” prior to the exsistance of the DEC Department of Mineral Resources, and were drilled, completed, produced and abandoned prior to any form of laws or guidlines for the industry to follow in respect to environmental policy.
In my opinion sir, you are guilty of feeding the gerneral public false information and half truths about an industry that here in NY has an excellent record when compared to others. You are also diminishing the excellent effort and safety record that the DEC has worked very hard to accomplish.
I expect to never hear back from you, but I hope that you review your information and take seriously your resposibilities to not disinform the public on these sensitive areas.
Sincerely
William Weaver