DEC schedules hearings on SGEIS

ALBANY, NY — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced details of upcoming public comment sessions on the draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS) governing potential natural gas drilling activities in the Marcellus Shale.

The meetings will be held in Loch Sheldrake in Sullivan County on October 28, in New York City on November 10 and Chenango Bridge in Broome County on November 12. A fourth meeting is being planned for the Elmira-Corning area.

DEC staff will be available prior to the start of each session to answer individual questions about the format and contents of the draft SGEIS.

The following procedures will guide the public hearings:

• Individuals intending to speak will be required to sign in upon arrival and will be called in the order registered. To accommodate as many people as possible, there will be a five-minute limit on oral presentations.

• Speakers may supplement their oral presentations with written comments. Written and oral comments receive equal consideration.

The Sullivan County session will be held at Sullivan County Community College. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. for individual questions and speaker sign up. The public comment session will start at 7:00 p.m. Interested parties should check the DEC website, www.dec.ny.gov, for possible changes in time or location, and also for a copy of the SGEIS. Click the link for the Marcellus Shale.