The environmental price for the gas trapped in the shale is unacceptably high.

Gas Drilling Madness
Those of us living within the plumes from Emerson and other South Hill industrial sites have unwanted chemical vapors intruding into our lives. We certainly didn't ASK for this intrusion. It it truly SCARY that so many land-owners in Tompkins County (38% of the land, at last report) have signed away their rights to environmental health and tranquility by entering into lease agreements with gas-drilling firms. Whether your drinking water comes from the City Reservoir, the Lake, or from a well, the effects of the toxins leaking from these drilling sites will be widespread.

We all understand the pressing needs to reduce energy consumption and waste.  We understand the many problems of depending on fossil fuels, especially those from foreign lands.  While the US considerable reserves of natural gas, the techniques currently being used to access that gas carry staggeringly high environmental costs.  The damage being done now in the name of “energy independence” is huge and long-lasting.  The revelation that Cayuga Heights was accepting water discharge from drilling sites and releasing the ineffectively-treated, chemical-laden water into the southern end of Cayuga Lake is very distressing.  This process has been stopped temporarily, but we need to stop it permanently.

Once again, Walter Hang is sounding the alarm. His appearance on Amy Goodman's "Democracy Now!"  program is here. PLEASE sign on to a letter to Governor Cuomo asking him to withdraw the NYSDEC "Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (dSGEIS) for oil and gas mining here.

The most recent Public Hearing was held at the State Theatre on December 1, with many Tompkins County leaders.  The turnout of about 1000 residents was amazing. The clear message of the meeting is that "hydro-fracking" is far more involved than the vertical drilling which has been performed in past gas-exploration efforts. Most residents asked that the dSGEIS be withdrawn, at least until the EPA's reports on the matter are released and understood. All expressed appreciation for the many natural resources in our area, and fears that all would be in peril, were drilling here to be permitted.

More information on this serious threat to our water, roads, and landscape is at the Shaleshock site.