DEC Issues Proposed Gas Rules

The New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation has issued it's much anticipated draft "Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement" to regulate horizontal natural has drilling in the state.Why is this important to Sullivan County? Sullivan sits on top of what is believed to be one of the richest veins of the Marcellus Shale gas fields in the east.

You can find the actual draft SGEIS on the DEC website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/47554.html, but be forewarned — it's a bear of a document at 801 pages! Various organizations are currently reviewing it, and the best place to get a synopsis is on one of the organization websites like Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy. Two local papers, the River Reporter and the Sullivan County Democrat are also providing coverage.

The final version of the SGEIS approved by the DEC will be hugely significant to the future of this county, which is why I'm including a post about it here. As important as the issue of gas drilling is, however, I'm always hesitant to post about it on here because it draws, by far, the most vehement, angry and not always well informed comments from drilling opponents.

Up until about a month ago, I was pretty agnostic about gas drilling here, neither a staunch opponent nor proponent. But then news started accumulating about fluid spills at a Cabot test well near Dimick, PA. That event, along with some other spills and contamination incidents in western PA, has moved me into the foe camp. Why? If a drilling company can't get it right when they just have a small operation, and when regulators are closely looking at examples of gas drilling operations to formulate regulations in New York state, how can they possibly get it right when they're engaged in industrial scale production? And while the NY DEC may publish hundreds and hundreds of pages of regulations, by it's own admission it only has 17 regulators. Before approving the first drilling permit in New York State, the public has to insist that there is adequate and fully funded oversight. Yeah, right! The gas industry will likely to everything in its power to ensure that the DEC is weak and underfunded (while I'm sure funnelling millions into political contributions.) Maybe oner way to ensure full funding of DEC oversight is to require that every dollar of contributions to politicians from the gas industry be matched by a dollar of gas industry funding of regulatory oversight.

One problem I see with gas drilling overall is that the bar for safety is unacceptably low and the tolerance for error unacceptably high. The safety bar should be more like airlines, and less like the MTA. Airlines are required to conduct ongoing safety checks. When even the slightest problem is found, entire fleets are grounded immediately until the problem is researched and rectified. And when an airline, or its maintenance contractors, take shortcuts that jeopardize safety or falsify records they face huge fines. If gas drilling is to proceed, the same level of safety expectation needs to be applied. No excuses, no "hey, sorry, we'll try to do better next time."

Comments

[keith]

This, of course, is the "pro" side for gas drilling. The county, and of course the state, are in dire need of a cash infusion. Those projected deficit #'s for the state are pretty staggering. Skip drilling in western SUCO, I think Monticello would be a good spot for gas drilling. You could start in the old Apollo Mall parking lot. Another good site for a derrick would be the Monti Racetrack after it folds. I'd recommend the old Concord site, but it's too close to Kiamesha Lake.

http://sc-democrat.com/news/010October/06/news3.htm

[keith]

I had been thinking they should take drinking water samples for reference prior to drilling, encouraging to see that base is covered in the River Reporter article. Also good to see they will have to release the fracking fluid recipe, hopefully this will be to general public and not just gov officials.

[Lady Day]

An interesting acronym Keith.

We have:

TriBeCa
SoHo
LoEa
DumBo
MoMA

And, thanks to you, now we have...

SuCo.

Kind regards,
Lady Day.

[keith]

I see NYC is starting to make some noise.

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091008/NEWS/910080324/-1/COMM04

Interesting history that the farmers in the valleys in Grahamsville and Neversink understandably resented NYC exercising eminent domain to evict the farmers and flood the two valleys to create those reservoirs. However, after the erosion of the farm and hotel industries, Grahamsville and Neversink are still nice towns with good services and a good school system, a big reason for this is the tax revenue from NYC. NYC DEP also provides police functions for the towns. Now NYC may be able to block drilling, 9 million people have a lot of clout (that's half of the NY state voters!!!). I wonder if this drilling thing will be become another endless issue like gambling, an issue that will never come to fruition, but will never go away either.

[keith]

Hmmmm.... Be interesting seeing just how much inertia this is going to have, people are starting to smell money.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/business/energy-environment/10gas.html?hp

[Rod]

Natural gas is always going to be challenged by one basic fact, especially with new ways to reach deeper sources - there's too much of it in the ground all around the world, and it will always keep prices low and speculation risky.

[eileen fitzpatrick]

This is great concern that NYC, after buying up much land in the watershed, will seek tax reductions.

[Rod]

Interesting article on housing prices in Sunday Times -

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/business/economy/11view.html?ref=business

[h. k. vanda vonce krontz]

Belly up boys!

Today at:

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091011/BIZ/910110327
=====

Accused Ponzi schemer bought real estate near Sullivan lake

Lake Joseph was site of many Barry deals

----

Philip Barry, an alleged Ponzi schemer from Brooklyn, is accused of using investor money to buy thousands of acres of land in Sullivan County. Ground zero is Lake Joseph, where he bought the undeveloped side of the lake.

Times Herald-Record

----

By Michael Levensohn
Times Herald-Record
Posted: October 11, 2009 - 2:00 AM
Like countless other kids from the city, Philip Barry spent his summers in Sullivan County. He went to summer camp at Lake Joseph,...{continues)

----

[MGG]

Dear David- would you please post this commentary on the DEC comments to the SGEIS? Thank you- MGG