Jen Metzger's Fracking Ban Bill on 5 year Anniversary

Today, on the 5 year anniversary of NYs historic ban on Hydrofracking (which really isn't a ban for several reasons, more like an executive moratorium which makes some forms of fracking *possible*...) 

Senator Jen Metzger introduced SB 6906: 

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s6906

First thing I notice:

1: Includes propane fracking .... GOOD!

However, there are other kinds of fracking, such as fracking with acid, other gelled hydrocarbons (butane?), or explosives.

Requested Change #1: Let's add all nasty forms of well stimulation: acid fracking, fracking with explosives, fracking with ANY gelled hydrocarbons. 

2: This bill makes permanent the TRICKY SWITCHEROO of increasing the threshold of a low-volume frack from 20,000 to 80,000 gallons (1992 O+G GEIS), to anything under 300,000 gallons (2014 SGEIS adopted while "banning fracking"). This makes fracking wells using 80,001 gal to 299,999 gal *possible*, when it was *not possible* under the 1992 O+G GEIS

UPDATE!  I have studied two wells which caused problems in Dimock. (two wells I happened to have a complete file review on, Costello #1 and Costello #2). Each well was fracked twice.  For each well, one of the fracks would have been possible under the

Requested Change #2: RESTORE the limits of a "frack" to 80,000 gallons, as was in the 1992 Oil+Gas GEIS.

References: a: http://www.nofrackingway.us/2012/04/10/grisantis-fracking-loopholes/ (analysis by Chip Northrup) 

b: http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/findingstatehvhf62015.pdf (findings statement) 

c: https://www.otsego2000.org/wp-content/uploads/resources/L.%2520Allstadt.pdf (Lou Allatadt)

3: This only bans High Volume *Horizontal* Hydro/Propane fracking. Many of the failed wells in the Dimock/Springville area which caused widespread water contamination problems were NOT horizontal wells!! They were water-fracked VERTICAL wells!!! 

Requested Change #3: Remove any mention of the word "horizontal".

4: There is NO BAN on Fracking Infrastructure or other harmful side-effects:  Water withdrawals, pipelines, compressor stations, fracked gas power plants, waste transport/disposal, "beneficial use" such as road spreading of brine, "Virtual Pipelines" (#BombTrucks) using either Ultra-High-Pressure CNG Tube-Trailers, or Bulk-Haul LNG, fixing the NYSDOT HAZMAT loophole which exists outside NYC, #BombTrains, etc. 

Final Thoughts:

It's a great start, and IMO NY fractivists should get involved in discussing this bill with your local reps, and possibly supporting some version of it, but it looks like it needs a lot of committee work. 

But it seems clear we DO need a proper LEGISLATIVE BAN!! Let's make it happen! 

BH

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