Thanks George. Your understanding of regional politics is very informative and appreciate your take on this issue. best Tony
On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 10:46 AM, George Frantz <[email protected]> wrote: > 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 > -- 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
