Testimony on NY Natural Gas Drilling and Concerns about NYC Water Supplies

Members of NY State and Local Government and EPA,

The long debated issue of natural gas drilling in upstate New York reached its peak earlier this year when state officials decided to temporarily disallow drilling near the pristine watersheds that serve a large supply of fresh, unfiltered drinking water to New York City to the south.

Concerns are understandable, given the risks involved in any type of exploration and drilling activity. The new norm is hydraulic drilling which optimizes natural gas extraction thousands of feet into the Earth, horizontally tapping the vast Marcellus Shale for an estimated 1.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The pipes that are lowered under ground create a path deep into the rocky layers isolated by heavy coatings of cement, allowing large amounts of water and chemicals to boil at high temperatures adding pressure to blast areas along the rocks (process known as 'fracking') which will allow deposits of natural gas to flow freely. The danger is if there is an accident causing leaks of chemicals (most of which undisclosed) into the nearby water sheds used for public consumption.

This is a controversial issue, but I urge city and state governments to work cohesively in understanding the concerns of the public, industry interest, safety, and federal environmental protocols and regulations. I also hope that the EPA will pay attention to this matter sooner rather than later, as its been placed on the back burner for over one year.

First, the issue of safety should be of top priority. I applaud the New York City Council in representing our concerns and taking an active approach in displaying interest about the protection of our water supplies upstate. However, the fact that Catskill and Croton watersheds are unfiltered makes one worry about safety aside from any proposed drilling activity. There should have been a grand safety net on our water supplies given the evident increase in industrial activity upstate. I do know that NYC has taken a stand on safeguarding our supplies with the purchase of 1,124 acres of land for watershed protection. This land is marked for our reserve and is open to recreational activity such as hunting and canoeing, adding to area tourism. I urge us to utilize this land for setting up a filtration system for enhanced safety. Reports by NYC's Environmental Protection Department states that $1.5 billion has already been allocated towards investments in water protection - some of which was used in the purchase of land. Building a filtration system will come at a cost, but the benefits and return on investment should offset this. Perhaps the New York City Municipal Water Finance Authority could sell special bonds to provide any additional upfront funds. Even though federal law does not require large cities such as Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, and New York City to filter their water being that much of it derives from fresh sources, we should still do so given the increased industrial productivity within our lands.

The safe guarded approach will work to protect NY residents and allow the drilling industry to explore and develop. The natural gas industry will provide jobs and help boost the overall area economy along south western NY. The region of interest along the Catskill range will surely welcome the boost to employment. Drilling activities will sure up other industries such as trucking and manufacturing providing a bustling economic expansion, similar to what Pennsylvania benefits from now (owning a larger region of the Marcellus shale). Local and state government will benefit from taxes on productivity and the leasing of state owned land.

Also, reports indicate that as drilling productivity increases along the Marcellus shale, the existing pipelines will not be enough to adequately deliver natural gas to the public. This is further proof of the need to ramp up more pipelines in addition to water filtration methods in preparation and anticipation of more drilling activities. These pipelines will better deliver natural gas throughout NY state and even surrounding neighbors improving the Northeastern US market for natural gas. An even better leverage for NY to host the pipelines that will flow up north.

The opportunity to implement this strategy will be a great addition to our state economy. We must also remain focused on safety measures, and I'm proud of NYC for maintaining such great interest in our water reserves. I hope to see this come into fruition, and to know that we have prepared in advance will serve as an example for the rest of the country on how government and industry can work together.

-Damanick Dantes