Bloomberg Backs Fracking - But Far From City's Water Supply
Tuesday, August 28, 2012 - 01:13 PM
Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday reiterated his commitment to fracking as a way of extracting natural gas from upstate New York — but said it shouldn't occur near the network of reservoirs that feed drinking water to the city.
The mayor's remarks come as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is poised to release regulations on the natural gas drilling technique for New York state.
The mayor has had a slight change in tone on the controversial practice, recently emphasizing the upsides of natural gas as a form of clean energy, rather than the possible downsides from environmental damage.
Still, the mayor doesn't want fracking done anywhere near the city's upstate reservoirs. "If you were to contaminate some groundwater that's not drinking water, that's very different than if you contaminate the drinking water for eight million people," he rationalized.
Many upstate New Yorker rely not on reservoirs for drinking water, but on drinking wells fed by underground aquifers. Bloomberg said he had no position on what effect, if any, fracking could have on that water supply.
The mayor released a study this week that found that additional gas supply and infrastructure upgrades are needed to meet the city’s growing demand.
“This study confirms its importance to New York City’s reliable, clean energy future and demonstrates that with responsible, well-regulated development, we can make the investments that both improve our air quality and save lives,” Bloomberg said in a statement.
Ilya Marritz contributed reporting
Comments [7]
Bloomberg thinks it is okay to pollute groundwater, as long as it isn't NYC drinking water? All groundwater may eventually become drinking water, if not for people, for wildlife. It will also be taken up by the roots of plants, which may become food for people and animals. I think Mayor Bloomberg needs to go back to school to study elementary science. He appears to be blinded by $$$$, self-interest, and pseudo-science.
Translation: "Anywhere but my backyard." !!!
Apparently Bloomburg never looked at a topographical map. At one point the Susquehanna water shed and the Delaware watershed are only a mile or two apart. That location is in Broome County near Sanford , NY Sanford is about to own a gas pipeline and a few hundred wells if Cuomo and the gas bitches have their way. NY City steals our water and now Bloomburg advocated they take away our clean air and water. F*&^% you Bloomburg, you precious upstate water is also in danger from hydrofracking. Tell Cuomo NO WAY.
LInda
It's okay everyone, this policy will only adversely affect the poor and the middle class.
Don't worry Todd, the daily air pollution from all the New York City traffic and heavy industry is already thousands (perhaps millions) of times worse than any pollution that would be caused by temporary drilling operations. The citizens of New York City won't even notice a difference!
What happens when air pollution from thousands of new drilling operations around the state rain down into the reservoirs and negatively impact the water quality the city has worked so hard to preserve? This is an incredible short-sighted position.
I will be brief. Bloomberg is a douche-bag.
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.