New York bans fracking.  NSW should ban it too.

MEDIA RELEASE - 18 December 2014

The Greens NSW mining spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham today congratulated New York Governor Mario Cuomo for banning fracking in the state of New York over health concerns and called on the NSW Government to follow New York’s lead.

According to the New York Times, Governor Cuomo implemented the ban after a long-term health study found “significant public health risks” associated with fracking.

“The people of NSW deserve the same level of protection that the people of New York now enjoy, and it is simply false for the government to run around stating NSW has the world’s toughest regulations, when states like New York have banned fracking altogether,” said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

“This was not a knee jerk announcement.  Governor Mario Cuomo has been considering the issue of fracking for years.  His Republic opponent recently lost an election after promising to allow fracking in New York.

“NSW would be wise to heed the information coming out of the US where the unconventional gas industry is far more mature.  The US experience shows that this industry is a threat to health, the environment, and the climate,” he said.

In August 2014 the Courts ordered Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection to release 243 reports where fracking or drilling for unconventional gas had contaminated underground water sources across 22 counties in that state.

Contact: Max Phillips – 9230 2202 or 0419 444 916

Gov-Cuomo

One comment

  • The 2014 film ‘Energized’ documents in a matter of fact way the effects of fracking in one area of Canada, including large tracts of waste land and ground water saturated with flammable gas. Vast areas of Queensland and NSW are covered by coal licences and applications. Locals in the NSW Southern Highlands are resisting coal seam gas exploration, in an area not far from Sydney’s water catchment areas.

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