Tony, I'm not too surprised. I suspect though that the reason for the decision by Chesapeake is that they've figured out that 1) New York City has a certain amount of extraterritorial jurisdiction over land and water uses within the Catskill Watershed; and 2) the NYC Department of Environmental Protection will lay such incredibly stringent requirements on any drilling activities that it simply will not be profitable to drill there.
I don't think the decisions has anything to do with local politicians and community groups. Chesapeake may simply be taking advantage of a great propaganda opportunity by publicly giving itself a pat on the back for "voluntarily" making a decision that it had to make anyway. I'm not completely sure of the extent of NYC powers within their watershed area, but they are strong enough that back in the late 80s new regulations drafted by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection to ward off an EPA mandate to build a multi-billion dollar filtration plant almost triggered another round in the Catskill water wars. Fortunately before local rumblings turned into something more substantial the City backed down and instead came up with the Catskill Watershed Initiative, a creative and highly successful partnership with local communities wherein among other things NYC invested its $$$ in upgrading local wastewater treatment plants and other public sewer infrastucture, developed voluntary land acquisition and purchase of development rights programs, and a program to fund capital improvements to local farms to substantially reduce agricultural runoff and nutrient and pesticide loadings within the watershed. Best regards. George Frantz --- On Fri, 10/30/09, Tony Del Plato <[email protected]> wrote: From: Tony Del Plato <[email protected]> Subject: [SustainableTompkins] Drilling Company Withdraws To: "postingsustainabletompkins" <[email protected]> Date: Friday, October 30, 2009, 2:09 AM One of the biggest drilling companies in the country withdrew from drilling in the NYC/Catskill area. Tony Del Plato http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20091028/NEWS01/910280468/1126/news/Chesapeake+won+t+drill+in+New+York+City+watershed -- "This is a subtle truth: whatever you love, you are". Rumi -- No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets. - Edward Abbey _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins Questions about the list? ask [email protected] free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins Questions about the list? ask [email protected] free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
