TO  
The  Honorable  Antoine  Thompson,  Chair,  New  York  State  Senate  Environment  Committee  
Robert  Sweeney,  Chair,  New  York  State  Assembly,  Environment  Committee  
 
RE:  Fleased  position  on  pending  legislation  
 
  May  6,  2010  
 
Dear  Senator  Thompson  and  Assemblyman  Sweeny,  
 
We  enthusiastically  support  several  bills  that  deal  with  separate  and  extremely  important  
aspects  of  protecting  the  environment  during  the  proposed  drilling  and  extraction  of  
natural  gas  in  the  Marcellus  Shale.    We  gratefully  acknowledge  the  work  of  Mr.  Sweeny  and  
others  in  the  state  assembly  including  Barbara  Lifton.    We  appreciate  Senator  Thompson’s  
interest  in  the  issue  and  we  will  push  for  Senate  sponsors  for  all  of  these  bills.  
 
As  people  who  leased  their  land  before  high-­‐impact  gas  exploitation  was  anticipated,  we  
are  keenly  interested  in  ensuring  that  NYS  proceed  cautiously.    We  signed  leases  based  on  
our  knowledge  and  expectation  of  conventional  gas  development.    For  some  of  us,  the  
leases  were  signed  when  spacing  units  were  640  acres  and  the  change  in  law  to  allow  40  
acre  units  is  not  what  we  bargained  for.    The  industrialization,  water  contamination,  noise  
pollution,  visual  landscape  change,  and  air  impacts  associated  with  the  exploitation  of  shale  
gas  using  high-­‐volume  hydraulic  fracturing  has  the  potential  to  transform  the  rural  NYS  
landscape  forever.      
 
We  thus  support  the  following  bills  (numbers  are  Assembly  bill  numbers):  
 
• 8806:  Requires  permits  for  water  withdrawals.    
• 10088:  Prohibits  the  use  of  on-­‐site  open  waste  pits  to  store  toxic  fluids.  
• 10090:  Prohibits  the  on-­‐site  disposal  of  drill  cuttings.  
• 10092:  Requires  an  Environmental  Impact  Statement  [EIS]  for  any  hydraulically-­‐
fracked-­‐well  to  determine  if  it  will  pose  a  threat  to  the  environment  or  public  health.  
• 8748:  Provides  extra  protection  for  NYC  watershed,  reinstating  local  zoning,  
regulating  fracking  fluids,  liability  for  drillers,  Greenhouse  Gas  [GHG]  as  part  of  
permit  review,  well  closure  bonds,  etc.  
 

Fleased.org fleasedny@gmail.com
 • 8784:  Requires  drillers  to  pay  for  certified  water  testing.    
• 9480:  Allows  individuals  to  sue  for  injury.  
• 10490:  Establishes  a  moratorium  on  conducting  hydraulic  fracturing  for  the  
extraction  of  natural  gas  or  oil  until  120  days  after  federal  Environmental  Protection  
Agency  issues  a  report  on  the  effects  of  hydraulic  fracturing  on  water  quality  and  
public  health.  [The  EPA  has  estimated  that  they  will  not  finish  their  study  until  at  
least  the  end  of  2012.  The  bill  has  been  referred  to  the  Assembly  Environmental  
Conservation  Committee.]  
• 10092.  Requires  a  site-­‐specific  EIS  for  drilling  permits  using  hydraulic  fracturing.  
• 10633.  Reinstates  local  government  authority.  
• 6953:  This  bill  is  very  similar  to  10091.  Only  allows  natural  and  organic  materials  in  
fracking  fluids  and  no  toxics.  
• A10710:  Which  would  place  a  moratorium  on  import  of  fracking  fluids  for  disposal  
in  NY  pending  completion  of  the  EPA  study.  
• A10614:  would  prohibit  horizonal  drilling  and  hydraulic  facturing  on  or  within  a  
mile  of  state  park  lands.  
 
We  enthusiastically  support  these  bills  and  hope  that  you  will  see  that  each  of  these  bills  
merits  your  attention  and  support.  
 
In  addition  we  feel  that  the  following  bills  merit  support,  but  believe  that  there  are  
important  amendments  discussed  below.  
 
9414:  Makes  drillers  and  landowners  liable  for  all  damages  associated  with  fracking.    This  
bill  would  not  apply  to  the  million  and  a  half  acres  already  leased  in  New  York  State.  It  
establishes  liability  for  everyone  involved,  including  lessors,  but  grandfathers  those  with  
leases  prior  to  enacting  the  law.  Fleased  supports  this  bill  only  if  it  is  very  clear  that  lease  
extensions  and/or  renewals  that  are  exercised  by  the  gas  drilling  companies,  and  are  not  
extended  at  the  discretion  of  the  lessor,  are  also  grandfathered.    Fleased  also  recommends  
amending  it  to  require  landsman  or  anyone  seeking  to  obtain  a  mineral  lease  to  inform  the  
landholder  of  this  law.    
 
7572A:  Relates  to  GHG  and  climate  change.  It  mentions  monitoring  at  gas  pipelines,  but  
makes  no  mention  of  GHG  impacts  of  extraction,  transport,  water  treatment,  etc..  Fleased  
supports  the  bill  if  it  includes  amendments  to  cover  the  whole  life  cycle  of  GHG.  
 
8784.  Requires  gas  drilling  companies  to  “cause”  water  testing  within  1000’  of  well  bore  
and  all  wells  in  spacing  unit  before  and  after  drilling.    Fleased  supports  but  recommends  
amending  it  to  make  the  gas  drilling  companies  pay  local  health  departments  to  do  the  
testing  and  also  to  increase  the  distance  from  the  well  bore  site  to  at  least  1500  feet  since  in  
Dimock,  PA  contaminated  wells  were  at  least  as  far  as  1300  feet.  
 
A10091:  Prohibits  the  use  of  chemicals  that  are  known  to  be  harmful  to  human  health  and  
requires  the  disclosure  of  chemicals  used  in  fracking  fluids.  Fleased  supports  this  bill,  but  
suggests  amending  it  to  also  include  carcinogens  and  endocrine  disrupting  chemicals  .    The  
list  of  persistent  bioaccumlative  toxics  mentioned  is  not  a  comprehensive  list.  
 
10292.  Provides  for  bonding  for  well  closure.    Fleased  supports  if  amended  so  that  the  
bonding  for  Marcellus  wells,  expected  to  be  2000-­‐4000  feet  in  depth,  were  at  least  
$250,000.    [As  written,  bonds  for  wells  shallower  than  6000’  are  far  too  low.]  
 
We  oppose  the  following  bill:  
 
5585:  Provides  a  subsidy  for  natural  gas  facilities.  
 
Please  protect  us  from  the  extremely  polluting  and  destructive  process  of  the  proposed  
shale  gas  extraction.      
 
Thank  you.  
 
Respectfully,  

 
 
 
Ellen  Harrison,  Director    
On  behalf  of  Fleased  and  its  members  
 
Cc:    
David  A.  Paterson,  New  York  State  Governor  
Members  of  the  NYS  Senate  Environment  Committee  
Members  of  the  NYS  Assembly  Environment  Committee  
James  L.  Seward,  New  York  State  Senator  
George  H.  Winner  Jr.,  New  York  State  Senator  
Michael  F.  Nozzolio,  New  York  State  Senator  
Barbara  S,  Lifton,  New  York  State  Assemblywoman  
Steve  Englebright,  New  York  State  Assemblyman  
Pete  Grannis,  Commissioner  NYSDEC  
Andrew  Cuomo,  New  York  State  Attorney  General  
Charles  Schumer,  United  States  Senator    
Kirsten  Gillibrand,  United  States  Senator  
Maurice  Hinchey,  United  States  Representative  
  Michael  Arcuri,  United  Sates  Representative  
  Judith  Enck,  EPA  Regional  Administrator    
David  Skorton,  Cornell  University  President    
Ithaca  Journal  
Albany  Times  Union