The 1992 GEIS only envisioned foam and nitrogen fracturing operations using between 20,000 and 80, 000 gallons of fluid. It makes no mention of “slickwater” fracking or operations using more than 80,000 gallons of fluid. Horizontal Marcellus wells will utilize between three and seven million gallons of fluid.
“Documents obtained under FOIL indicate that the industry has largely abandoned the foam and
water-gel operations described in the GEIS, and have been developing vertical wells using high-volume
‘slickwater’ fracturing.” April 19, 2011.
In a May 26th, 2011 letter Mr. Field ignores the evidence obtained from his own files and insinuates that high-volume fracking hasn’t already taken place in New York .
NRDC Senior Attorney Kate Sinding explains why vertical wells were explicity included in the moratorium bill vetoed by Governor Paterson. December 2010.
