Addabbo Joins WITH Senate Colleagues in Calling for Hydrofracking Moratorium

Queens, NY, May 24, 2013 --  NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens) recently joined his colleagues in the Senate in calling for action on legislation (S.4236-A) he co-sponsors to establish a moratorium on new permits for hydraulic fracturing, commonly called fracking. The proposed legislation would ensure that environmental and health experts have enough time to assess the full impact drilling would have on the public health and overall environment of New York State.

Addabbo noted that the overall effects of fracking on the environment have caused great concern over health risks and said that the state’s environmental, medical and agricultural experts need time to determine the short-term and long-term impacts  of this controversial gas drilling process.

“I don’t think we should put substances in our water that we can’t pronounce and that we can’t be certain won’t poison us and our precious drinking water supplies,” said Addabbo, who is the sponsor or co-sponsor of several other bills to regulate or ban hydrofracking. “Shooting a toxic cocktail of ethan-diol potassium hydroxide, ammonia persulfate magnesium nitrate, cristabolite polyethyoxylated alkanol, formaldehyde sodium hydroxide and many other suspect chemicals into the earth, with potentially irreversible environmental and public health impacts, isn’t worth the risk, especially since there are so many unknowns about this process.”

Continuing, Addabbo said, “It is vital that we continue to delay the issuance of any drilling permits; do our homework with a comprehensive, unbiased health impact study; and have strict, smart laws and regulations in place to safeguard New York’s environment and residents from any possible harm if, indeed, hydrofracking is allowed to proceed.” 

The bill under discussion would prohibit new hydrofracking permits until May 15, 2015. The moratorium would give legislators more time to evaluate studies and reports on environmental and public health impacts which can result from the mining process before deciding whether to allow hydrofracking in New York State. The legislation also mandates a health impact study aimed at understanding potential long-term health impacts.

“New York’s economic future depends in large part on a clean environment, including the protection of our precious drinking water supplies,” Addabbo said. “Before we allow any drilling to take place – which would only happen against my better judgment – we must be sure that any supposed short-term gains from hydrofracking will not irreparably damage our long-term future and health.”

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