READERS WRITE: Profit fracking in New York State

The Island Now

The American Flag flew high from atop the gas rig in the middle of a dairy farm in Dimock, Pa. 

Instead of it heralding a beautiful day in the land of the free it represented a slap in the face for the town’s residents who have been affected by the fracking boom that continues to grow all around them.

It is very easy to see the rape of America – pristine woods and rolling hills and fresh streams were abundant. Now every half mile there are gas pads with pipelines and plastic fences running like ski slopes up and down the country side. Huge compressor stations with giant fans spin constantly cutting off any chance of a day of peace and quiet listening to the sounds of nature that you would normally hear in a rural town. 

But there is nothing normal here. Though nature is trying to maintain its freely running streams, now the waters are murky. The deer are in the distance but with a different color from what is natural.

Neighbors are divided and many have been paid off to be silent with gag orders from Cabot Gas company. Their lives and property values have been ruined, their health jeopardized and drinking water and air contaminated. I smelled a family’s well water and almost gagged from the stench. Families either have to pay for bottled water or go to a spigot that is on private property a few miles away that they paid to have put in to obtain fresh water. 

The gas company is fighting to get that shut down.

None of the local or state officials have had the guts to see what has been done to these people. The residents who are bold enough to speak out are constantly being ostracized. This was my day in Pennsylvania on a bus tour sponsored by Food and Water Watch, a nonprofit consumer organization. 

Several Great Neck residents also attended, such as  state Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel, who was instrumental in helping pass the recent Assembly two-year moratorium on fracking; Fran Reid, chief sustainability officer for the Town of North Hempstead; and my neighbor Neil Lieberman who is active with the [Great Neck] Park District.

This trip reconfirmed my love for New York State where we refuse to go quietly in the direction of other states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wyoming and Texas. We now must turn our attention to our senators to continue to support the voices of this tidal wave of activism. I urge all who read this to call Senator Martins to support this moratorium.

It is clear to me, there are no safe ways to frack. I only hope all of us continue to put pressure on Gov. Cuomo to finally make his boldest statement as a governor yet and ban fracking permanently from New York State. 

We do not want what is happening in Pennsylvania to happen to our agricultural communities in New York State. 

There is discussion the governor might make his decision on whether to allow fracking in New York State any day now regardless of the outcome of the health assessment report he asked to have done. 

We implore him to make New York a shining example to the rest of the country and the world and ban fracking now.

 

Patty Katz

Reach Out America 

Environmental Committee Chair

Share this Article