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This week, New York state joined the growinglist of states and communities to ban hydraulic fracturing (fracking) within its boundaries. After years of contentious debate over the safety of fracking, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s announcement Wednesday that he would move to unilaterally ban fracking was not completely unexpected. Still, environmental groups are counting the Department of Health’s report that “[high volume hydraulic fracturing] should not proceed in NYS” as a victory.
The decision is the result of the health department’s two-year analysis of an environmental impact assessment of fracking along the Pennsylvania-New York border. The proposal to allow fracking was being promoted by industry groups and some small communities that had been energized by reports that similar towns in Pennsylvania were gaining economic leverage from natural gas exploration. The Department of Environmental Conservation’s impact assessment, however, didn’t address whether there could be potential health risks associated with fracking, or the extent of impact on the state’s drinking water sources.
According to Acting Commissioner of Health Howard Zuker, the DOH wasn’t able to quantify the potential health risks to residents, and that may have been the most damning part of the report.
“[The overall weight of the evidence from the cumulative body of information contained in this Public Health Review demonstrates that there are significant uncertainties about the kinds of adverse health outcomes that may be associated with HVHF, the likelihood of the occurrence of adverse health outcomes, and the effectiveness of some of the mitigation measures in reducing or preventing environmental impacts which could adversely affect public health]” said Zuker in his introductory letter to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DOC).
The risks included impacts from:
- Respiratory health issues from various forms of exhaust
- Climate change impact from methane and other chemical releases
- Water contamination from chemicals
- Potential spills into the environment
The DOH report noted an impressive list of similar studies that have delved into the risks associated with fracking, but it was careful to mention that there still isn’t a clear definition of the environmental or health impacts of hydraulic fracturing and natural gas exploration. It called upon health and environmental experts to broaden the scope of research.
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