Environment DEC
From the November 2009 issue
Public Hearings Scheduled on Draft SGEIS for Marcellus Shale Drilling
DEC announced details of remaining upcoming public comment sessions on the draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS) governing potential natural gas drilling activities in the Marcellus Shale formation. Please see below for meeting locations. DEC staff will be available prior to the start of each session to answer individual questions about the format and contents of the draft SGEIS.
Public Hearing Procedures
The following procedures will guide the public hearings:
Individuals intending to speak will be required to sign in upon arrival and will be called in the order registered.
To accommodate as many people as possible, there will be a five-minute limit on oral presentations.
Speakers may supplement their oral presentations with written comments. Written and oral comments receive equal consideration.
Formal presentations (PowerPoint, etc.) cannot be accommodated.
Written Comments
Trucks transporting hydrofracking fluids.
In addition to the public comment sessions, those wishing to submit written comments can do so by:
Accessing a specially created DEC online submission form,
Sending an e-mail to: dmnsgeis@gw.dec.state.ny.us, or
Writing to: Attn.: SGEIS Comments, Bureau of Oil & Gas Regulation, NYSDEC Division of Mineral Resources, 625 Broadway, Third Floor, Albany, NY 12233-6500.
The draft SGEIS addresses the range of potential impacts of shale gas development using horizontal drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing and outlines safety measures, protection standards and mitigation strategies that operators must follow to obtain permits. The draft document built upon a scoping process DEC held in fall 2008, which involved extensive public outreach and generated more than 3,000 comments. The SGEIS supplements and must be considered in conjunction with the existing GEIS on the Oil, Gas and Solution Mining Regulatory Program.
A copy of the full draft SGEIS is available on DEC's website, where highlights of the document can be found as well. Printed copies are available for review at DEC regional offices and most sub-offices and libraries that traditionally have served as repositories. Written comments will be accepted by DEC through November 30, 2009.
Information Sessions/Hearings Schedule
Doors will open at 6 PM for individual questions and speaker signups. The public comment session will start at 7 PM. Interested parties should check DEC's website for possible changes in time or location.
Tuesday, November 10, Stuyvesant High School Auditorium, 345 Chambers St., New York, NY
Thursday, November 12, Chenango Valley High School Auditorium, 221 Chenango Bridge Rd., Chenango Bridge, NY
Wednesday, November 18, Corning East High School Auditorium, 201 Cantigny St., Corning, NY
