NYC DEP Wades into Fight Over Natural Gas Drilling - You Can Too

New York City is stepping into the natural-gas debate in the Catskills, warning that chemicals from drilling could put NYC's drinking water at risk. And we could not be happier!

"The potential consequences of these impacts cannot be overstated," said the city's DEP, in a statement. "Any material degradation of the watershed or lack of faith in DEP's ability to protect water quality could "force the City to build a $10 billion filtration plant, requiring nearly a 30 percent increase to the City's water rates."

Of particular concern, the DEP said, are the more than 430 products and 350 chemicals used in the gas-drilling process.

The city is pressuring state officials to do more to study the effects of modern drilling techniques on water quality. It's also preparing comments and paying for its own study to submit to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, which will oversee drilling permits.

The state Department of Environmental Protection is accepting public comment about its Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement On The Oil, Gas and Solution Mining Regulatory Program. This 809-page document, also known as an SGEIS, will dictate how the DEC issues permits to companies and how it regulates their activities. And we need you to get involved.

To submit a comment to the DEC, which will be entered into the public record:

E-mail
dmnsgeis@gw.dec.state.ny.us

Mail
Attn: dSGEIS Comments, Bureau of Oil & Gas Regulation, NYSDEC Division of Mineral Resources, 625 Broadway, Third Floor, Albany, NY 12233-6500.