1000-plus Protest Fracking in Albany

photo by Mark Dunlea; see more here

More than 1,000 people showed up in Albany yesterday to tell Governor Andrew Cuomo just what they think about fracking. The gist of their message: "No Fracking Way!" As one banner noted, how can Andy hope to become President if he can't protect New York's water?

You can see lots of photos, courtesy of Mark Dunlea, at http://bit.ly/NsAXme

and find local coverage here and here.

UPDATE:

At noon today there was another rally – this one in Binghamton. Congressional Candidate Dan Lamb (D-NY22) railed against Cuomo’s proposal to allow hydraulic fracturing in five Southern Tier counties. According to Lamb, the statewide moratorium on drilling should remain in place and comprehensive public health, environmental, and economic impact studies should be conducted. Furthermore, the federal government should eliminate the loopholes in existing law that allows the shale gas industry to “skirt” important environmental protections.

“New York’s Southern Tier should not be used as a guinea pig for the shale gas experiment,” he said. “If fracking is unsafe anywhere in New York, it is unsafe everywhere.”

Lamb is running for Congress in the newly created 22nd Congressional District, which includes all or parts of three of the five “Marcellus Shale” counties – those on Cuomo’s short list for fracking permits.  The incumbent, he points out, has voted time after time to maintain tax subsidies for the oil and gas industry and to weaken clean air and clean water act protections.