Sager, activists celebrate moratorium

By FRITZ MAYER

MONTICELLO, NY — When the New York Senate voted in the wee hours of August 4 to impose a moratorium on gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale until May 15, 2011, many gas drilling opponents in New York and other states were watching the process unfold live over the Internet, and were surprised at the lopsided outcome, 48 to nine.

On August 5, members of three local groups Catskill Mountainkeeper, Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy and Sullivan Area Citizens for Responsible Energy Development (SACRED), joined Sullivan County lawmaker David Sager for a press conference at the government center to mark the occasion.

Bruce Ferguson of Catskill Citizens said that his group, in May, took the lead in the lobbying effort that led to the vote. He said at the time most people thought there was little chance for success. Now, however, he said the vote showed that lawmakers are beginning to understand that state residents don’t want fracking. He cited a poll conducted by Cornell University that showed that two out of three state residents oppose fracking once they know the risks involved.

Still, Ferguson agreed with Sager that even if the measure is ultimately passed by the assembly and signed into law by the governor, the vote was largely symbolic. Sager, who is running for the state senate, said, “The bill is an important, but modest and largely a symbolic gesture that may have delayed the actual issuance of permits by only a few months. It actually does little to provide anything other than a temporary halt of drilling not likely to start until May 15, 2011 anyway. I stand before you today to say loudly and clearly that this is simply not close to being enough.”

Sager, who is running against Senator John Bonacic, said because of the efforts of advocacy groups and the movie “Gasland,” there is growing awareness about the gas drilling issue not only in Sullivan County but also in Ulster and Delaware counties, which are also part of the district.

Reaction in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, meanwhile, at least one lawmaker says the Keystone State should follow the lead of the Empire State and impose a moratorium on fracking. Representative Phyllis Mundy (D-120) is the main sponsor of House Bill 2609, which would institute a moratorium for one year while the state learns more about how to deal with the large gas drilling industry that is growing there.

Mundy told various newspapers that she is concerned about reports that show a high number of violations by gas companies operating in the state.

The Pennsylvania Land Trust Association (PALTA), for instance, says it has reviewed environmental violations committed by gas drilling companies in Pennsylvania between January 2008 and June 25, 2010.

A report from PALTA said there were a total of 1,435 violations accrued by 431 Pennsylvania drillers during that time, and 952 of the violations could have had negative impacts on the environment or public health.