Groups Call on Cuomo Administration to Open Up Health Review to the Public
December 18, 2012
Riverkeeper Team
ADIRONDACK MOUNTAIN CLUB - CATSKILL MOUNTAINKEEPER - CITIZENS CAMPAIGN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT - COMMON CAUSE NY - DELAWARE RIVERKEEPER NETWORK - EARTHJUSTICE - EARTHWORKS OIL AND GAS ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT - ENVIRONMENT NEW YORK - ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATES OF NEW YORK - NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL - RIVERKEEPER, INC. - SIERRA CLUB ATLANTIC CHAPTER - WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE - WORKING FAMILIES PARTY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Paul Ertelt, Adirondack Mountain Club, (518) 449-3870, pertelt@gmail.com, or Neil Woodworth, (518) 449-3870, neilwoody@gmail.com
Tina Posterli, Riverkeeper, 914-478-4501 x 239, tposterli@riverkeeper.org
Kate Slusark, Natural Resources Defense Council, 212-727-4592, kslusark@nrdc.org
ALBANY, N.Y. – December 18, 2012 – A coalition of New York State’s leading environmental and good-government groups today called on state officials to publicly release the details of a health review of proposed fracking that is currently underway.
In a letter to state Health Commissioner Dr. Nirav R. Shah and Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joseph Martens, representatives of a dozen prominent organizations urged the state to release the details and forthcoming results of the review, which is currently being evaluated by a scientific panel. The groups also called for public hearings to be held in potentially affected areas and a 60-day public comment period on the health review.
These groups were among those who originally called upon the Cuomo administration over a year ago to conduct a comprehensive and public review of the potential health impacts of fracking. Today’s letter is an effort to ensure that the review of fracking’s health impacts is meaningful, inclusive, independent and comprehensive.
The full letter can be found here, and an excerpt follows:
“We remain deeply concerned that the health review is proceeding under a veil of secrecy and without any opportunity for input by the potentially affected public, state-based health professionals or other key stakeholders. To be valid and meaningful, it is absolutely critical that the health review process provide a genuine opportunity for input by local, county and New York State medical and public health professionals, as well as the community members in potentially affected areas of the state.”
The letter was signed by representatives of the Adirondack Mountain Club, Catskill Mountainkeeper, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Common Cause NY, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Earthjustice, Earthworks Oil and Gas Accountability Project, Environment New York, Environmental Advocates of New York, Natural Resources Defense Council, Riverkeeper, Inc., Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, Waterkeeper Alliance, Working Families Party
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