Environmental Advocates of New York is concerned about potential threats to the state's water quality associated with drilling for natural gas, particularly in the Marcellus Shale formation. We are especially concerned about the practice of "hydrofracking," a drilling process whereby millions of gallons of slurry are pumped into a well at high pressure to fracture the rock and release the gas for easier extraction. 

Hydrofracking uses millions of gallons of water and chemicals per well —some of which are known toxins. As drilling in the Marcellus Shale play increases, and hydrofracking becomes more prevalent, we need to ensure that any water used is obtained sustainably and that all wastewater is treated and disposed of responsibly. 

To that end, Environmental Advocates urges the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to update the state's “Generic Environmental Impact Statement on the Oil, Gas and Solution Mining Regulatory Program” to address these concerns and update drilling regulations accordingly after a thorough review. The DEC should not issue any permits for wells that involve hydrofracking until these updates are complete and safeguards are in place to protect our ground and drinking water resources.

The state's generic environmental impact statement was put in place nearly 20 years ago to review and mitigate for the DEC’s siting, drilling, production, and plugging program for wells in New York. The out-of-date document fails to address changes in drilling technology and the amount of water and chemicals that hydrofracking requires. New York's water resources are too precious to risk the depletion or contamination that could result from a lack of state oversight due to an outdated environmental impact statement.

As New York's state government watchdog, Environmental Advocates will continue to investigate DEC policy related to oil and natural gas drilling and will continue to work with environmental organizations across the state to protect New York’s natural resources.