Are We Winning Yet?
Community Environmental Defense Fund attorney Helen Slottje recently pointed out that the DEC is running out of time before it has to release the rules that will govern fracking in New York, and that it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to meet the legal deadline and also incorporate the findings of the recently ordered health review. Her comments prompted a DEC spokesperson to admit that the department will probably miss the deadline, and the consequences of that are enormous – the DEC will be legally required to conduct a new public comment period and public hearing, and then consider all the input it receives before formulating rules. You can be sure the department will once again be swamped with public comments and expert testimony, and that could make this process drag on for months. (The rulemaking process is distinct from the SGEIS, but the requirements for public input are much the same.)
And this raises some very big questions: At what point will further delays collide with Andrew Cuomo’s political ambitions? Will he want to risk enraging the millions of New Yorkers who oppose fracking on the eve of his 2014 re-election bid? How will it affect his presidential prospects if an anti-fracking candidate siphons off hundreds of thousands, or even millions of votes? And this in turn raises the really big question: Could further delays signal the beginning of the end of plans to frack New York State? But there’s also another, much darker possibility- will Governor Cuomo dare to flout the law and permit fracking before the rules are in place?
Stay tuned.
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Tell Governor Cuomo “Don’t you dare permit fracking before rules are in place!” |
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13TH
CATSKILL CITIZENS FIFTH ANNUAL FUNDRAISER
The battle against fracking has already been going on for five years now, and grassroots organizations have been in the forefront of the struggle every step of the way. Although Catskill Citizens relies entirely on unpaid volunteers, we still need money for our organizational and outreach efforts. We hope you’ll be able to join us for our fundraiser, but if you can’t, we hope you’ll consider donating now.
The party gets underway at 6 PM at the Delaware Valley Youth Center
8 Creamery Road
Callicoon NY 12723
SPECIAL GUEST CONGRESSMAN MAURICE HINCHEY!
Pot Luck & BYOB Suggested Donation at the door $20 Music by DJ Mike Scullion