Thursday, November 14, 2013

Fracking, Nuclear and Energy # 234


Nuclear Power 1/4 of New York's Power Supply
Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant to Close by 2021 (NYT) The shutdown has been a long-held priority for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who has said the plant poses too great a risk to New York City, less than 30 miles to the south.


NYS No Fracking Way 
After six years of review, New York finally has an answer on fracking in the Marcellus Shale: No.*New York is the first state in the US to ban the controversial natural gas drilling technique.* The fracking decision did little to change how Gov. Andrew Cuomo is viewed. Drilling opponents were thrilled with the move and praised him, while supporters insisted it was political motivated and lambasted him.* Cuomo – a famously hands-on governor – appeared to try to wash his hands of the fracking decision, insisting it had been made not by him, but by his health and DEC commissioners. (No one was really buying that).* MORE: #Fracking will bebanned in NYS  The Cuomo administration will ban hydrofracking in New   York State because of health risks. Zucker: "Some chemicals used aren't even public knowledge." #fracking * Gov. Cuomo to BanFracking in New York State, Citing HealthRisks  
 Cuomo mentions a barrage of lawsuits to come:"I'm sure the people who disagree with this will continue to disagree with this."  #fracking* The Economic Fate Of Upstate Could Be Decided Today(YNN)* New York "...only one of the 35 states with extractable natural gas to be missing out on the hydro-fracking boom." -GOP Chairman Ed Cox* The fracking decision is likely to help repair the governor’s relations with the left wing of the Democratic Party, which backed Fordham Law Prof. Zephyr Teachout against him in the September primary. Teachout issued a statement praising the decision. * You can read the DOH report on the public health impact of fracking, which was two years in the making, here. * The New York Times weighs in: “This was not an easy decision, but it was the right one.” * The Journal News called the decision “wise.” * Elected officials and residents in the Southern Tier are shocked after the state banned hydrofracking and didn’t award a casino in the Binghamton area, as the economy in the region remains stagnant, the New York Times writes:  


 Developers in the Catskills are optimistic shops will open back up in Monticello and surrounding towns after a license was awarded to Empire Resorts to build a 391-room hotel resort at the site of the old Concord, the Timeswrites: Gov. Cuomo is a human flash-bang grenade, allblinding light and ear-cracking sound, but nothing significant ever changes, writes Bob McManus in the Post following the administration’s decision to ban hydrofracking: * Politics, not science, drove Gov. Cuomo’s decision to banhydrofracking as the health study laid out hypothetical perils and not any concrete harm, the Daily News writes, as it suggests Cuomo doesn’t have a Plan B to create jobs in upstate New York: * Health Commissioner says he wouldn’t want his kids growingnear fracking site, but doesn’t have children (NYDN) Howard Zucker, the acting state health commissioner, referred to a family he doesn’t actually have when he spoke about fracking’s potential risks to public health and the environment. The comments made an impact on Gov. Cuomo, who said they were ‘very sobering.’* Rep. Tom Reed, a Republican whose district sits on rich natural gas deposits, suggested that the federal government could explore overturning New York’s ban on hydrofracking, State of Politicsreports: Cuomo to the anti-frackers: “You did a great job of making your voice hear, and that’s what democracy’s all about. I actually enjoyed seeing it in action - I know it didn’t always seem that way.”* Cuomo the Craven — governor to upstate: Drop dead(NYP Ed)* A Quinnipiac poll found that New York voters approved 55 percent to 25 percent of Cuomo’s decision last week to ban high-volume hydraulic fracturing in New York StateGannett Albany reports:

When ConklinN.Y., town supervisor Jim Finch heard the news, he began drawing up plans to secede from the state. “I’m serious,” said Finch, who oversees a town of some 5,000 people on the Susquehanna River just a few minutes’ drive from the Pennsylvania border. “New York City determines policy in the Southern Tier? That’s baloney.” * Rep. Tom Reed called the fracking decision “devastating” for the Southern Tier, which didn’t get one of four available upstate casino licenses, either. Sen. Cathy Young called it a “punch in the gut” for the region. (Both lawmakers are Republican). * Cuomo said he will work to develop an alternative economic plan for the Southern Tier region that is now cut off from the fracking industry after the state decided drilling was too risky.* Lawmakers and officials from the Southern Tier expressed disbelief, disappointment and shock after the state banned fracking and declined to build a casino in the region, with some questioning whether the state is committed to jump-starting the region's economy, Gannett Albanyreports:  * Cuomo bowed to green activists and the Hollywood crowd when he banned fracking, depriving impoverished areas of the state—such as the Southern Tier—casinos while banning a safe and proven new energy technology that would create jobs, the Post writes:  * Republican state Sen. Tom Libous criticized the move to ban hydrofracking in the state as “the easy way out,” but acknowledged it’s unlikely there will be a legislative response to Cuomo’s decision, State of Politicsrepots: * Cuomo’s hydrofracking ban is a blow to the Southern Tier’s declining economy, and his alternatives will inevitably involve direct government “investments” and lost revenues from tax-free zones, the Empire Center’s E.J. McMahonwrites: * On fracking and casinos, Cuomo says, buck stops elsewhere(Capital)New York’s decision to ban hydrofracking for health reasons could lead to roadblocks for future development in the energy sector in other states, according to Rep. Tom Reed, the Buffalo News reports: * Cuomo Distances Self from Big Fracking and Casino Announcements(NY1)


* The fate of two fracking lawsuits before the state Court of Appeals that will have ramifications for energy companies and municipalities that have passed moratoriums or bans on the practice hinges on legislation passed in 1981, the Journal reports: http://goo.gl/8yRndc

* New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer and Otsego Town Councilwoman Julie Huntsman write in the Times Union that cities and towns should be able to ban fracking, in light of the State Court of Appeals hearing arguments in the case: http://goo.gl/YMmEYp

Former Assemblyman Jerry Kremer: “New York State is rapidly developing the reputation as the place where energy production projects go to die.” 

* State GOP Chair Ed Cox is calling on Cuomo to detail what was discussed in two closed-door meetings last year between the governor’s top advisers and leaders of the state’s hydrofracking review, Gannet Albany reports: http://goo.gl/nSa84O

* U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said on NBC’s Morning Joe that most Democrats across the country support hydrofracking, but he was careful to defer to Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York, Gannett Albany reports: http://goo.gl/Nx6qYK 

* The Times Union writes that the state’s deliberative study on hydraulic fracturing is appropriate to ensure the safety and health of residents: http://goo.gl/RcS8oI

Landowner exiled by Cuomo’s fracking games(NYP Ed)

Anti-Fracking groups plan to stage a protest with hundreds attending tomorrow when Gov. Andrew Cuomo visits Tarrytown for a campaign fundraiser at the Doubletree Hotel.

Fracking is stalled in New York, but the supply of fracked natural gas coming into the state from elsewhere is greater than ever.


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Fracking

A top American Petroleum Institute official said that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s delay on hydrofracking and the “excuse” of an on-going health study are “shortsighted,” the Post’s Fred Dicker writes: * Common Cause: Pro-Fracking Interests Spending Big(NYO) * Andrew Cuomo’s fracking ‘cone’ job(NYP) 
More on Fracking

Environmental activists delivered 50,000 comments to the state Department of Environmental Conservation opposing the agency’s proposed draft regulations for liquefied * A report revealed by Wikileaks found New York’s anti-fracking movement started with a series of ProPublica articles published in the TU in 2008.* State Department of Health Commissioner Nirav Shah said that his agency’s health study on high-volume hydraulic fracturing would be transparent “at the end, not during,” to maintain objectivity, Gannett Albany writes: * NY facing fracking lawsuit threat(NYP)* Still Undecided on Fracking, Cuomo Won’t Press for Health Study’s Release(NYT) * Cuomo's coal-to-gas switch facilitated by fracking (elsewhere)(Capital) * Environmentalists are not happy with Cuomo’s announcement that the Dunkirk coal-fired power plant will be repurposed and converted to natural gas.* Cuomo might not make a decision on fracking until after the November 2014 elections * NYC Comptroller-elect files in support of fracking bans(Capital) * A spokesman for Frack Action called a lawsuit filed by Norse Energy against the Cuomo administration seeking to compel a decision on the natural gas drilling technique “ridiculous.”* A bid to open Albany up to tar sands oil(Capital) * Scott Stringer’s amicus brief against fracking(NYP)

Cuomo in Utica says he does not believe there needs to be a do-over of the fracking review: "I feel good about where we are."*
Cuomo doesn't see a need for fracking review do-over 
Cuomo said he’s comfortable with the state’s review of hydraulic fracturing, and that he was not aware of a letter sent by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo asking for a more comprehensive review of the potential health impacts, Gannett Albany reports:

Cox To Cuomo: Without Fracking, NY Isn’t Open For Biz(YNN)

Lance Bass To Cuomo: Don’t Frack(YNN)
* Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Fred Krupp in the Times assess the growing reliance on natural gas and hydrofracking, and call for a data-driven approach and prevention of air and water pollution: http://goo.gl/YaHgmC 
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Fracking & Environment

Cox And Dems, At War Over Fracking(YNN)
Environmental groups criticized Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox for his ties to energy companies and his stance on hydrofracking, and praised Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s deliberate approach, the Times Union reports: http://bit.ly/1cGKBhf   * Hydrofracking opposition is led by today’s liberal gentry who are narrowly self-interested creating a class divide in upstate New York communities, Fred Siegel writes for the Wall Street Journal:  *NYers paying the price for Gov. Cuomo’s fracking delay(NYP Ed)
New York Looks to Cut Emissions by Private Trash Haulers(NYT)
Behind New York’s New Antismoking Law, a Persistent Councilman(NYT)
The Bloomberg administration wants to impose emission control standards on private trash collection trucks in New York City, after signing a law in September that imposed tougher standards on its municipal trash collection fleet, the Times writes: 
A draft lawsuit from a pro-drilling landowners group claims Gov. Andrew Cuomo has arbitrarily delayed a fracking decision for no “valid, rational or legally defensible reason.” 
Pro-fracking landowners threaten to sue Cuomo for 'political' delay 


Cuomo Flacking 
Cuomo targeted over fracking opposition(NYP) State Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox is planning an all-out attack against Cuomo a day after the November 5th election for caving to environmentalists by not approving “fracking” for natural gas in the state’s Southern Tier

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