Physicians Scientists & Engineers for Healthy Energy
Yesterday, Anthony Ingraffea, president of Physicians, Scientists and Engineers for Healthy Energy (PSE), and Seth B. Shonkoff, executive director of PSE, sent a letter applauding Gov. Cuomo’s decision to delay lifting the moratorium on hydraulic fracturing until the science is complete.
Dear Governor Cuomo:
Physicians, Scientists and Engineers for Healthy Energy (PSE) applauds your move to delay your decision on lifting the moratorium on shale gas development in New York until the science is complete. We thank you for remaining true to your word that the science should be definitive to the decision making process.
We commend you for making this decision especially because it runs counter to some actions taken by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and governors in other states with shale oil and gas such as Governor Corbett of Pennsylvania, Governor Kasich of Ohio and Governor Hickenlooper of Colorado who have failed to allow the science to guide their decision making.
After lobbying by former Governor Ed Rendell, the EPA prematurely dropped its legal action against Range Resources in a groundwater contamination case in Texas with no scientific basis, ignoring reports by independent scientists that the contamination may have been caused by shale gas drilling.
In Pennsylvania, Governor Corbett ushered in Marcellus shale gas drilling without any scientific oversight and passed Act 13 in the absence of rigorous medical and scientific information.
Governor Cuomo, you have signaled with your action to delay your decision on lifting the moratorium on shale gas production that it is imperative that science, not politics drive your decision. This is especially important since emerging science has increasingly found shale gas production to be fraught with risks to the environment, to climate and to human health.
Sincerely yours,
Anthony Ingraffea, PhD, PE Seth B. Shonkoff, PhD, MPH
President Executive Director
This letter was written in reference to Health Commissioner Dr. Nirav Shah’s letter to the Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner (DEC) Joe Martens on Feb. 12, that says the Department of Health will need more time to complete its review of the health impact assessment of hydrofracking contained in DEC’s mammoth environmental impact statement.
Visit EcoWatch’s FRACKING page for more related news on this topic.
——–
Sign the petition today, telling President Obama to enact an immediate fracking moratorium:
Excellent news! I just read Dr. Margaret Cuomo’s (Governor Cuomo’s sister) book, “A World without Cancer” and though there was no mention of fracking, she did signal out the environmental factors of reduction of cell phone use and concerns about GMO food as ways to protect against cancer.
You are no doubt aware of the conference in NY on Fracking, Food and Wireless, 13-14 March – http://www.corporateinterference.org/index.html
I can help but wonder if the ‘Physicians, Scientists and Engineers for Healthy Energy’ will be so supportive of Gov. Cuomo if his administration’s science-based report recommends lifting the moratorium on fracking.