NYS Bans Fracking -Cuomo said he would defer to the health experts to decide the issue.. . Zucker said that, “As the acting health commissioner, I consider the people of the state of New York as my patients. We cannot afford to make a mistake. The potential risks are too great. In fact, they are not fully known.” Letter and Public Health review: December 17, 2014 Hon. Joseph Martens Commissioner New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 625 Broadway Albany, NY 12207 Dear Commissioner Martens: In September 2012, you asked Dr. Shah, then Commissioner of Health, to initiate a Public Health Review of the Department of Environmental Conservation’s draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement for High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing (HVHF). I assumed responsibility for this review when Dr. Shah left. It became clear during this assessment that DOH’s Public Health Review needed to extend beyond the scope of the initial request to consider, more broadly, the current state of science regarding HVHF and public health risks. This required an evaluation of the emerging scientific information on environmental public health and community health effects. This also required an analysis of whether such information was sufficient to determine the extent of potential public health impacts of HVHF activities in New York State (NYS) and whether existing mitigation measures implemented in other states are effectively reducing the risk for adverse public health impacts. As with most complex human activities in modern societies, absolute scientific certainty regarding the relative contributions of positive and negative impacts of HVHF on public health is unlikely to ever be attained. In this instance, however, the overall weight of the evidence from the cumulative body of information contained in this Public Health Review demonstrates that there are significant uncertainties about the kinds of adverse health outcomes that may be associated with HVHF, the likelihood of the occurrence of adverse health outcomes, and the effectiveness of some of the mitigation measures in reducing or preventing environmental impacts which could adversely affect public health. Until the science provides sufficient information to determine the level of risk to public health from HVHF to all New Yorkers and whether the risks can be adequately managed, DOH recommends that HVHF should not proceed in NYS. I appreciate the opportunity to conduct this Public Health Review. It furthers the long history of close collaboration between the two Departments carrying out our shared responsibility to protect human health and the environment. Sincerely, Howard A. Zucker, M.D., J.D. Acting Commissoner of Health EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The New York State Department of Health (DOH) is charged with protecting the public health of New Yorkers. In assessing whether public health would be adequately protected from a complex activity such as high volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF), a guarantee of absolute safety is not required. However, at a minimum, there must be sufficient information to understand what the likely public health risks will be. Currently, that information is insufficient. In 2012, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) requested that DOH review and assess DEC’s analysis of potential health impacts contained in DEC’s draft supplemental generic environmental impact statement (SGEIS) for HVHF. In response to the original request from DEC, DOH initiated an HVHF Public Health Review process. In conducting this public health review DOH: (i) reviewed and evaluated scientific literature to determine whether the current scientific research is sufficient to inform questions regarding public health impacts of HVHF; (ii) sought input from three outside public health expert consultants; (iii) engaged in field visits and discussions with health and environmental authorities in states with HVHF activity; and (iv) communicated with multiple local, state, federal, international, academic, environmental, and public health stakeholders. The evaluation considered the available information on potential pathways that connect HVHF activities and environmental impacts to human exposure and the risk for adverse public health impacts. Based on this review, it is apparent that the science surrounding HVHF activity is limited, only just beginning to emerge, and largely suggests only hypotheses about potential public health impacts that need further evaluation. That is, many of the published reports investigating both environmental impacts that could result in human exposures and health implications of HVHF activities are preliminary or exploratory in nature. However, the existing studies also raise substantial questions about whether the risks of HVHF activities are sufficiently understood so that they can be adequately managed. Furthermore, the public health impacts from HVHF activities could be significantly broader than just those geographic locations where the activity actually occurs, thus expanding the potential risk to a large population of New Yorkers. As with most complex human activities in modern societies, absolute scientific certainty regarding the relative contributions of positive and negative impacts of HVHF on public health is unlikely to ever be attained. In this instance, however, the overall weight of the evidence from the cumulative body of information contained in this Public Health Review demonstrates that there are significant uncertainties about the kinds of adverse health outcomes that may be associated with HVHF, the likelihood of the occurrence of adverse health outcomes, and the effectiveness of some of the mitigation measures in reducing or preventing environmental impacts which could adversely affect public health. Until the science provides sufficient information to determine the level of risk to public health from HVHF to all New Yorkers and whether the risks can be adequately managed, DOH recommends that HVHF should not proceed in New York State….’ health.ny.gov/press/reports/docs/high_volume_hydraulic_fracturing.pdf blogs.democratandchronicle/voteup/2014/12/17/breaking-ny-rules-against-hydrofracking/
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 08:24:41 +0000
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