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Posted on 02/10/2013 8:56:10 AM PST by neverdem
As a rally is being organized for Thursday in Allegany by opponents of hydraulic fracturing, New Yorkers as a whole and in the Southern Tier remain evenly split on the controversial drilling technique for natural gas.
According to a Siena Research Institute poll released this week, when asked initially, voters statewide are evenly divided with 40 percent in support of the Department of Environmental Conservation allowing fracking to move forward in parts of upstate and 40 percent opposed (40 percent to 44 percent last month) Forty-seven percent of Southern Tier voters support fracking, while 48 percent are opposed.
After reviewing arguments in support and opposition to fracking and limitations on fracking that DEC could impose, 45 percent of voters statewide support fracking and 42 percent are opposed (50-46 percent among voters in the Southern Tier).
“With DEC expected to soon issue a decision on whether or not to allow fracking to move forward, voters across the state remain evenly divided, and voters in the Southern Tier — the area that makes up the majority of the Marcellus Shale in New York — are also evenly divided on the issue,” Siena pollster Steven Greenberg says.
A Quinnipiac University poll released late last week shows 43 percent support drilling because of the economic benefits and 42 oppose it because of environmental concerns surrounding fracking.
Support is stronger upstate, with 48 percent in favor of lifting the ban on fracking and 40 percent opposed. “(Gov. Andrew Cuomo) is in a position that chief executives hate: making a decision on a controversial issue where voters are split down the middle,” Mr. Greenberg says. “Unlike his position on guns, which angered a vocal minority, Cuomo’s decision on fracking is likely to anger far more voters — no matter what he decides.
“However, fracking opponents will be much more upset if it moves forward than fracking supporters will be if it does not.”
Indeed, the passion is mainly on the anti-fracking side of the ledger.
If fracking moves forward, 88 percent of opponents will be upset, including 54 percent who will be very upset, according to the Siena poll. If fracking does not move ahead, 59 percent of supporters will be upset, including 20 percent who will be very upset.
“By better than two-to-one margins, a plurality of voters agrees with three statements that highlight the potential negative environmental impacts of hydrofracking,” Mr. Greenberg says. “However, a majority of voters overwhelmingly agrees with two statements highlighting potential economic benefits of hydrofracking.
“While Southern Tier voters are much more likely to have read or heard about hydrofracking, and more likely to have opinions on the statements in support or opposition to fracking, their views on these statements don’t differ substantially from the views expressed by voters from the rest of upstate or across the state.”
Five potential regulatory actions DEC could take if fracking moves forward — meet conditions of Safe Drinking Water Act of 2005, strictly monitor impact on groundwater, strictly regulate methane release, approve it for a trial period, and limit fracking fluids on site — all produce a majority or plurality of voters who say it makes them more likely to support fracking. Between 16 percent and 19 percent of voters oppose each of these potential regulations.
“Voters in the Southern Tier — while having more informed views — do not have significantly different views than voters from the rest of the state when it comes to fracking,” Mr. Greenberg says. “This is clearly going to be a divisive issue for the foreseeable future. Nearly half of voters support fracking and nearly half oppose it. However, opponents, including a majority of Democrats, are much more passionate about their views than supporters — including an overwhelming majority of Republicans.”
SPEAKING DURING a legislative budget hearing Monday, DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said his agency has no projected date for finishing shale gas drilling rules, with completion dependent on recommendations from a health impact review.
If regulations aren’t finalized by Feb. 27, they’ll expire and will have to be put out for public comment again, which would likely extend the drilling moratorium by months. Mr. Martens acknowledges that to meet the Feb. 27 deadline, the massive environmental impact review on which the regulations are based must be published by Feb. 13. He says that DEC hired consultants to review potential seismic impacts, such as earthquakes, related to shale gas development. Their findings are included in the latest revision of the environmental impact study. The Associated Press reports that hundreds of gas-drilling opponents packed the hearing room in Albany and repeatedly interrupted the hearing with applause, groans or hissing. Many held small signs with slogans such as “No shale gas,” although security guards made them leave larger placards outside.
Before the hearing began, Sandra Steingraber, a leader of New Yorkers Against Fracking, confronted Mr. Martens and demanded the environmental review and regulations be put on hold and a comprehensive health impact analysis be done by an independent investigator. She went to a seat after guards threatened to arrest her.
At the end of Martens’ testimony, the protesters stood and chanted “Not one well!” before heading to the Capitol for a rally. Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, joined the protesters to sign a “pledge of resistance” to fracking and discuss utilizing civil disobedience if shale gas development is permitted.
Gov. Cuomo’s proposed budget for the fiscal year that starts April 1 makes no mention of fracking. Mr. Martens says it would be premature to allocate money to regulate something that hasn’t even been approved to occur in the state.
Gov. Cuomo says the decision on whether to allow fracking will depend on whether the science shows it can be done safely.
No worries New York. I wouldn’t even bother with that crazy fracking thing if i were you. Yessiree,,, thats real dangerous stuff. But this is your lucky day. Texas will be happy to do it for you, and sell you the gas you need. (snicker)
I would'nt sell them a boot full of piss. Let em freeze in the dark I say.
If someone discovered a magical method of retrieving oil from the ground with no drilling, no fracking, no pumping, no environmental impact of any kind, these luddite druids would still be against it. I don’t like them.
NYS is full of great orchard land, farm land, lakes, forest, etc, yet the elite won't let the people use them to make better lives...
I would'nt sell them a boot full of piss. Let em freeze in the dark I say.
NY leadership is cr** and Cuomo marches to Obama's drum.
The incredible stupidity of my fellow New Yorkers continues to amaze me.
If you travel upstate especially to the Binghamton tri-cities area all you see is relics of a bygone industrial era that brought incredible prosperity and a strong middle class to the whole region.
Fracking would enable a natural gas powered manufacturing renaissance and recovery of a region the likes of which haven’t been seen in 50 years. And that is precisely why the enviro-whackos are against it.
Far better it continues to be a “tobacco road” for younger people with mass unemployment and government dependence mixed with a well off retirement class while the area continues to depopulate.
What an incredible waste.
The odds are that if they asked a thousand people their opinion on Fracking in NYC, not one of them would be able to actually tell you what it is and how it works. But they would be glad to tell you if they were for or against it.
So our Congress that needs to pass a bill so someone will tell them whats in it, do accurately represent the uninformed masses. None of them will actually bother to study the issue before making a decision.
Time to launch a recall on Cuomo, for his idiotic positions on fracking and illegal gun control. Thanks neverdem.
“Time to launch a recall on Cuomo, for his idiotic positions on fracking and illegal gun control.”
There is no recall in NY State.
The bulk of the population is in NY City. Those NY City idiots love gun bans and fracking bans.
After the gun ban Cuomo’s approval rating only dropped to 59%.
Do you really think a Governor with a 59% approval rating is going to be removed even if there WAS such a thing as recall?
The only thing that could save us up here is if we were to separate from downstate and that isn’t likely to happen. At least not peacefully.
But the problem is that since the drop in natural gas prices, I have seen my monthly royalty check drop from almost $2000 to about a third of that.
So my wife has suggested that we become environmental activists, opposing not only fracking but demanding the closing of coal mines and coal fired power plants. I'm considering this. We sure don't want to see a continued gas glut!
NY is not interested in jobs just free stuff
Please don’t frack, NY. I’ve got leases that need to be drilled, and if you don’t frack, Texas will!
Know the Binghamton area well. Half the people are low information types.
The smart ones have moved on. I'm thinking fracking won't happen there.
Bingo!
Fracking is only the latest reason to oppose fuel.
FReepmail me if you want on or off my New York ping list.
P.S. There's at least one nasty comment about NY's reluctance and hesitation about fracking. I won't be surprised if there are more. NY asked for it. Fracking is more than 60 years old!
It’s a religion for such types. Pretty much the same mind-set as the Amish, except the religion is the worship of Gaiia.
Oil men have suspected the existence of these lower formations since the 1920s, only didn’t have the ability to drill that deep or to locate precisely those formations.
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