What the frack?
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Let' start with the basics. What the frack am I talking about? Hydraulic fracturing (a.k.a. "fracking") is a process by which oil and gas are extracted from underground reserves. Fracking, says Rachel Cernansky, "relies on what companies call proprietary chemical mixes to enable and increase their access to wells. The chemicals have not been extensively studied because the companies are not required to disclose information about them." Cernansky adds:
"Fracking contaminates water in unpredictable (and barely studied) ways. Across the country, water polluted by fracking has killed cows, deer, and fish. Some of the chemicals used are known carcinogens, in some cases causing extremely rare types of tumors."
Even though the New York City Department of Environmental Protection believes that fracking poses unacceptable risks (read: radon and uranium, for starters) to the unfiltered drinking water supply for up to 15 million people, New York Governor David A. Paterson may allow this method to proceed in the Marcellus Shale watershed, a black shale formation extending deep underground from Ohio and West Virginia northeast into Pennsylvania and southern New York and potentially the largest natural gas reserve in the country.
Here's where some serious urgency kicks in for New York State residents: The deadline for public comments is Thursday, December 31.
Oh yeah, one more thing: Halliburton is just loving the whole frackin' thing.
WATCH VIDEO: What happens when your land is not yours?
3 Immediate Actions for New Yorkers to Take NOW
1. Call Governor Paterson's office: 518-474-8390 Give your name, zip code, and the message that the Governor must withdraw the dSGEIS (draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement) because it inadequately addresses or safeguards the environement and public health in New York State.
2. Sign the coalition letter to Governor Paterson
3. Learn more and [url='http://www.shaleshock.org/project-groups/take-action-now']pass on the info[/url to any] and all New Yorkers you know
(Special thanks to Keir Neuringer for bringing this issue to my attention)
