New York's Natural Gas Future (Update)
July 22nd, 2008
Most natural gas exploration happens in the West, in places like Nevada, Colorado, and Texas. But today WNYC public radio looks at the future of natural gas exploration in New York. Thousands of feet below the ground, the state has plenty of Marcellus Shale, a largely untapped source of natural gas. It could be worth billions, but drilling for it also comes with some serious environmental risks.
One of the main issues in deciding how to regulate such industry is that local state representatives are not familiar with gas exploration. For example, on the last day of the State Legislature’s session this summer, an important bill related to the drilling passed, but according to the report “Democratic Queens Assemblywoman Toby Ann Stavisky says she -and most of her colleagues – first heard about [the] bill just hours before they voted on it.”
See a slideshow on natural gas exploration or listen to the story.
Update: We also wanted to point out this project was a joint investigation by WNYC and ProPublica.
By Mark Berkey-Gerard on July 22, 2008, 8:00 amIn category: Environment | 2 Comments »

July 22nd, 2008 at 12:55 pm
And the Albany Times Union, which also has some excellent graphics.
July 28th, 2008 at 11:41 am
The manner in which this bill was rushed through the legislature is a “canary-in-the-coal-mine” early warning. Energy corporations are in a rush to extract gas without taking responsibility for the environmental costs that extraction will impose on up-state NYers. This new law will help them do it.
I deplore Gov. Paterson’s decision to sign it and am extremely disappointed with the fig-leaf environmental clap-trap he used to cover over his actions. Will the Governor and his advisers abandon environmental quality in the Southern Tier?