DEC issues Draft Regulations for Fracking

This morning the DEC issued their draft regulations for high-volume hydraulic fracturing and announced a series of four public hearings.

 The draft regulations, says DEC Commissioner Joe Martens, “are based on the proposed requirements contained in the agency’s revised draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement released earlier this month.”

Martens said that public review of the proposed regulations “is an important part of the environmental impact statement process. The comments from the 2009 public comment period proved insightful and helped inform the revised SGEIS.” He assured the public that the DEC is looking forward to continued oral and written comments during this round.

The draft regulations are supposed to create a legal framework for implementing the proposed mitigation measures published in the revised dSGEIS. The public comment period on the draft regulations begins today and runs concurrently with the public comment period on the dSGEIS, which ends Dec. 12.

In addition for the drilling rules, DEC also released the proposed State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) General Permit (GP) for Stormwater Discharges associated with high-volume hydraulic fracturing.

 Four Hearings:

Each public hearing will have an afternoon session from 1 – 4 pm and an evening session from 6-9 pm. Comments will be accepted in written and oral format at the hearings.

Here’s where the hearings will be:

• Nov. 16: Dansville Middle School Auditorium, 31 Clara Barton St., Dansville, NY 14437
• Nov. 17: The Forum Theatre, 236 Washington Street, Binghamton, NY, 13901
• Nov. 29: Sullivan County Community College, Seelig Theatre, 112 College Rd, Loch   Sheldrake, NY 12759  
• Nov. 30: Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers Street, New York, NY, 10007

Once the comment period is complete, DEC will review the comments and prepare responses to be released with the final SGEIS and final regulations.  No permits for high-volume hydraulic fracturing will be issued until the SGEIS is finalized and DEC issues the required Findings Statement.

 How to submit comments:

Via the Web at http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/76838.html

By mail to Attn: dSGEIS Comments; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; 625 Broadway; Albany, NY 12233-6510

For More Info:

On the dSGEIS: http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/75370.html;

On the proposed State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) General Permit (GP) for Stormwater Discharges along with its fact sheet: http://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/77251.html;

On the proposed regulations: http://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/77353.html