Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

No fracking in New York State. That’s the decision from Governor Andrew Cuomo after the state’s acting health commissioner and the head of the department of environmental conservation said they couldn’t support fracking because of possible public health risks. During his entire time in office, Cuomo had been waiting for a report from the health commissioner before making a decision a whether to lift the moratorium on fracking in New York. Karen Moreau, executive director of the New York State Petroleum Council says, “This is the wrong direction for New York,” adding that Pennsylvania has gotten $2.1 billion in state and local taxes from fracking, which has gone toward improvements to roads, bridges and public works systems. Congressman Tom Reed says the decision is devastating for the Southern Tier economy. "I am extremely disappointed in today’s announcement from Governor Cuomo which bans hydraulic fracturing. This move effectively blocks the development of natural gas and...

A state judge has dismissed two lawsuits challenging New York’s delay in finishing its health and environmental analysis of the potential impact of fracking in the state. Supreme Court Justice Roger McDonough dismissed both lawsuits, a move state attorney general Eric Schneiderman says is “an important victory in our effort to ensure all New Yorkers have safe water to drink and a clean, healthy environment.” The lawsuits claimed the Department of Environmental Conservation had abused its discretion in delaying completion of its environmental review, which began in July 2008. The suits were filed on behalf of the Joint Landowners Coalition of New York. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

New York's top court handed a victory to opponents of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas Monday by affirming the right of municipalities to ban the practice within their borders. The state Court of Appeals affirmed a midlevel appeals court ruling from last year that said the state oil and gas law doesn't trump the authority of local governments to control land use through zoning. The two fracking cases from two central New York towns have been closely watched by drillers hoping to tap into the state's piece of the Marcellus Shale formation and by environmentalists who fear water and air pollution. Both sides are still waiting to see whether a statewide moratorium on fracking in effect since July 2008 will be lifted. The court in a 5-2 decision stressed that it did not consider the merits of fracking, but only the "home rule" authority of municipalities to regulate their land use. The court said the towns of Dryden and Middlefield both acted properly. ~~ ...

Democratic senators in New York have introduced legislation to ban fracking waste from the state. They introduced four bills today that would keep the waste from being shipped into the state for treatment or disposal; eliminate the waste from being used to melt ice off of roads; and bar treatment facilities and landfills from accepting the byproduct. The state health department is currently reviewing whether fracking should be allowed in the state. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A free screening of the documentary “Triple Divide” will be presented by co-directors and journalists Joshua Pribanic and Melissa Troutman at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, in the Dresser Auditorium of the Murphy Professional Building at St. Bonaventure University. The 90-minute documentary is a project by PublicHerald.org, a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit organization. “Triple Divide” is built on evidence from cradle-to-grave investigations that attempt to answer the question, “How are state regulations and industry handling impacts from fracking?” It is said to be the only documentary of its kind on the controversial subject of fracking capable of speaking to all sides, with exclusive interviews from members of the fracking industry, experts and Americans suffering in the wake of shale gas development. Narrated by actor and advocate Mark Ruffalo, the film’s major findings include stark negligence and endangerment of public and environmental health due to shale gas extraction. Spo...

Wastewater from the controversial practice of fracking appears to be linked to all the earthquakes in a town in Ohio that had no known past quakes, research now reveals. For the full story go to NBCNews.com . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Bradford well services company has closed after 16 years in the business. Superior Well Services closed on Tuesday. 67 people were employed there. The company says some of those people will be laid off; others may be moved to other companies owned by Nabors Industries. Nabors bought Superior in 2010. The company is doing restructuring across the country because of a slowdown in the drilling industry. Nabors stock fell 6 percent today after the company said its second quarter earnings would be short of market estimates. They blame the shortfall on reduced rentals of pressure pumping equipment for fracking. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The McKean County Natural Gas Taskforce is hosting a series of three free events focused on Hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing has been and continues to be a hot topic related to natural gas development. May and June will feature investigative films, with opposing viewpoints, focused on hydraulic fracturing. The final event scheduled on this topic is a presentation on alternative fracturing techniques being developed for the gas industry. The views and opinions expressed in the documentary films and presentations being presented as part of this series are those of the film producers and speakers, and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the McKean County Natural Gas Taskforce, its members, or its member agencies. The McKean County Natural Gas Taskforce strives to provide information that represents both sides of the natural gas debate. Individuals are strongly encouraged to attend both movies and the presentation to hear both sides of the issue and draw...

Two state senators are calling on the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) to conduct an immediate review of a critical communications breakdown that occurred in Beaver and Lawrence Counties following the illegal dumping of thousands of gallons of fracking wastewater in Ohio. Senator Lisa Baker (R-20), chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, and Senator Elder Vogel Jr. (R-47) wrote to PEMA last week asking for answers to why local officials and the public were not informed about the possible threat to drinking water downstream from the dumping. "While a long list of agencies, including PEMA and the PA State Police were notified of the illegal dumping in Ohio near the Pennsylvania border, no one took the all-important step of sharing this critical information with other relevant agencies," the senators wrote in their letter to PEMA Director Glenn Cannon. They said that neither the Department of Environmental Protection nor tw...

Read more at Solomon's Words .

New York’s Assembly has voted to extend the moratorium on fracking in the state to 2015. Wednesday’s vote follows a bill introduced in the Senate which would put off the decision by Governor Andrew Cuomo on whether to allow the controversial drilling method in New York. Cuomo has said he will wait for recommendations from his health and environmental conservation departments, as well as the Geisinger health study from Pennsylvania, before making a decision. He has not set a deadline. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday provided an update on its ongoing national study currently underway to better understand any potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. Results of the study, which Congress requested EPA to complete, are expected to be released in a draft for public and peer review in 2014. The update provided today outlines work currently underway, including the status of research projects that will inform the final study. It is important to note that while this progress report outlines the framework for the final study, it does not draw conclusions about the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources, which will be made in the final study. As the administration and EPA has made clear, natural gas has a central role to play in our energy future, and this important domestic fuel source has extensive economic, energy security, and environmental benefits. The study EPA is curre...

By Alex Sosnowski, senior meteorologist for www.AccuWeather.com Low stream flows have forced officials to suspend water usage for the natural gas development (fracking) in portions of Pennsylvania. A lack of snowfall this winter and a lack of rain this spring were the major players in abnormally low stream flows, low ground water levels and depleted soil moisture. According to a report published by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SBRC), 17 separate water withdrawals were temporarily suspended. The suspension, initiated to mitigate plunging stream flows in the basin affects 10 companies in five Pennsylvania counties. Those counties are Bradford, Luzerne, Lycoming, Susquehanna and Tioga. Additional withdrawals may be suspended if rainfall continues to trend below normal. According to officials, the restrictions are applied to various streams when flow rates reach a certain threshold and do not wait for declaration of a drought. The abnormally dry conditions hav...

Speaker of the House Sam Smith (R-Punxsutawney) released the following statement regarding what he says is the misinformation being perpetuated by some special interests regarding the chemical disclosure language in one paragraph of Act 13, the Marcellus/Utica Shale Impact law: “Doctors will be able to provide all of the information needed to discuss any patient ailment. “It is outrageous to think, let alone for anyone to portray, that the state would actually ‘gag’ a doctor in treating a patient. It is irresponsible for an organization to try and create such hysteria. “The language in the Marcellus/Utica law was advocated by the Environmental Defense Fund and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. “The new law explicitly requires fracking chemical information be disclosed to medical professionals so that they may provide treatment should the need ever arise. This will enable medical professionals to meet their highest ethical obligations and to fully inform their patients. “The law w...

A judge has ruled that a preliminary injunction ordering the US Forest Service to resume processing drilling notice for the Allegheny National Forest did not give drillers the right to use surface or groundwater for fracking. Under Pennsylvania law, the federal government does not have the right to block the mineral owner's access to the minerals, but a 1980 federal court decision and U.S. District Judge Sean McLaughlin's 2009 decision give the agency some limited control on how the gas companies drill inside the forest. The Pennsylvania oil and gas industry had asked McLaughlin to find the agency in contempt because it is banning the use of the water and also taking more than 60 days to process the notices. In denying the motion, McLaughlin said neither the 1980 ruling nor his 2009 decision addressed water rights in the forest. On the second point, McLaughlin said the industry didn`t provide clear and convincing evidence the agency is deliberately dragging its feet. He added t...

Senate Democrats used parliamentary procedure to call for a public hearing by the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee on a wide list of bipartisan hydrofracking bills. The Committee chaired by Sen. Grisanti has not held one hearing on the issue of hydrofracking. Because of the maneuver by the Senate Democratic Conference, Sen Grisanti has been forced to accept the petition for public hearing on these bills and must now schedule a public hearing within 14 days. "For too long the Senate Republicans and Senator Grisanti have decided to brush the issue of hydrofracking under the rug. This issue is too important to ignore." stated Senate Democratic Spokesman Mike Murphy. Video of the hearing. http://www.nysenate.gov/event/2012/mar/06/environmental-conservation-meeting The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson today joined the House Natural Resource Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources for a field hearing in Steubenville, Ohio entitled, “Natural Gas--America’s New Energy Opportunity: Creating Jobs, Energy and Community Growth.” The hearing focused on the economic benefits of natural gas development, the successful track record of states in overseeing hydraulic fracturing, and also explored the Bureau of Land Management’s recent draft regulations on hydraulic fracturing that could significantly stifle continued development. Members of the Committee heard testimony from numerous local businesses, industry groups, and academic and research institutions. “Hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas shale formations has unlocked previously inaccessible and vast new energy supplies which has lowered energy costs in regions across the country, including in my home state of Pennsylvania and here in Ohio, offering new incentives for more b...

PA Taps into Hydrofracking, While NY Waits http://www.wkbw.com/home/PA-Taps-into-Hydrofracking-While-NY-Waits-139510723.html The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it plans to perform water sampling at approximately 60 homes in the Carter Road/Meshoppen Creek Road area of Dimock, Pa. to further assess whether any residents are being exposed to hazardous substances that cause health concerns. EPA’s decision to conduct sampling is based on EPA’s review of data provided by residents, Cabot Oil and Gas, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. “EPA is working diligently to understand the situation in Dimock and address residents’ concerns,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “We believe that the information provided to us by the residents deserves further review, and conducting our own sampling will help us fill information gaps. Our actions will be based on the science and the law and we will work to help get a more complete picture of water quality for these homes in Dimock.” The sampling will begin in a matter of days and the agency estimates that it wi...

The Department of Environmental Protection has fined TerrAqua Resource Management LLC of Williamsport, Lycoming County, $18,500 for a March 2011 hydraulic fracturing, or frack, water spill at the company’s treatment facility in Lycoming County. “This spill of between 800 and 1,000 gallons of frack water was caused by operator error,” DEP North-central Regional Director Nels Taber said. “Accidents like this can be prevented.” The spill occurred when TerrAqua employees were in the process of filling three frack water storage tanks that overflowed into the containment system. The containment berms were not elevated enough and were too close to the tanks to contain the frack water. A DEP investigation determined that the overflow occurred because the operator was not able to shut off the pump quickly enough after the alarm system displayed that the levels were high. The release was halted by opening valves to other storage tanks, allowing the frack water to flow into them. TerrAqua hired a...