By Howard Koplowitz
State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said he was filing a lawsuit Tuesday against the federal government for what he said was a failure to commit to an environmental review of proposed regulations that would allow natural gas drilling — including a technique known as hydrofracking — in the Delaware River Basin.
“Before any decisions on drilling are made, it is our responsibility to follow the facts and understand the public health and safety effects posed by potential natural gas development,” Schneiderman said. “The federal government has an obligation to undertake the necessary studies, and as I made clear last month, this office will compel it to do so. The welfare of those living near the Delaware River Basin, as well as the millions of New Yorkers who rely on its pure drinking water each day, will not be ignored.”
The attorney general said a method of horizontal drilling combined with hydraulic fracturing — hydrofracking — poses risks to the environment, citing an April incident in Pennsylvania where a blowout in a natural gas drill site caused gallons of chemical-laced water to spill over neighboring land and into a stream.
Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e-mail at hkoplowitz@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4573.
