Get This Straight: Cuomo Did Not Ban Fracking - The Community Did Gov. Andrew Cuomo may have had little choice but to prohibit fracking in New York, say some activists who worked toward the ban. His decision was made convenient by a state court decision against fracking and rapidly falling natural gas prices. These events combined may have already killed the fracking industry’s interest in the state. “You could say it was a moot point,” says an environmental and political activist who wished not to be named since he works with Cuomo’s administration on unrelated matters. “I do wonder if there would have been a different message from Cuomo if the State Court of Appeals had not ruled that towns could ban fracking.” The activist, who worked with anti-fracking organizations since 2009, said the Cuomo administration hinted it would decide the other way, including fudging the results of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, commissioned by the state to assess the impact of fracking on well water. In October, Capital New York reported that officials delayed the report and edited some of conclusions so they wouldn’t be politically inconvenient if Cuomo decided to lift the moratorium and allow the controversial energy extraction practice. Capital New York found disparities between the original draft and the final version that came after extensive communication between the Cuomo administration and USGS. It said that the differences reveal that “some of the authors’ original environmental and health risks associated with fracking were played down or removed.” Last week, Cuomo met with his top advisers and representatives of the media. There, he deferred his decision on fracking to the findings of Department of Environmental Conservation commissioner Joseph Martens and acting state health commissioner Howard Zucker. The activist said, “A lot of people are thanking Cuomo, Martens and Zucker, but the wheels were already set in motion. It wasn’t Cuomo who stopped fracking, it was the activists and the communities. It’s because the people stood up, and they organized and then they won a big victory in court.” (more at link) https://popularresistance.org/cuomo-didnt-stop-fracking-the-communities-did/
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 13:58:29 +0000
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