Hudson Valley officials unite with activists against fracking


Several of the region's most noteworthy politicians have offered support in the fight against hydraulic fracturing, a controversial gas mining technique known to pollute water supplies.

Hudson Valley United Against Fracking held a kickoff event Tuesday morning at the Ulster County Office Building, to urge a moratorium on fracking.

Former congressman Maurice Hinchey was joined by state senator Cecilia Tkaczyk, state assembly members Frank Skartados and Didi Barrett, New Paltz town supervisor Susan Zimet, Ulster County executive Mike Hein, and a host of environmental organizations.

They were accompanied by dozens of local "fractivists," pleading for Gov. Cuomo to delay gas drilling until independent scientific environmental studies are completed.

Large deposits of natural gas exist deep within the shale below upstate NY, representing a financial boon for the energy industry.

"Everywhere fracking has been allowed, the process has contaminated their water, polluted their air, and destroyed their land," indicated Hinchey.

"I have been fighting to protect our state from polluters for nearly 40 years. Now Gov. Cuomo is dealing with one of the most contentious environmental issues that we have ever seen," Hinchey said.

"Governor Cuomo is to be commended for taking a thoughtful approach to fracking, rather than rushing in, like so many other states. And I hope he will continue in that course," the retired congressman added.

"We're talking about our children, and our children's children -- we're having a conversation about whether or not we're going to poison them. It's absurd," maintained Hein.

"I'm incredibly proud as the Ulster County executive, to be part of the Hudson Valley, a place has turned out to be the conscience of New York State," Hein said. "But I will be the proudest when we can once and for all in NY State that we will not play games with our future," he noted.

"We are going to leave this planet like we found it, for generations to come, and generations after that," Hein said.

"Why are we continuing to rely on finite resources, that are also threatening to destroy our very existence," asked Skartados. "Why are we contemplating playing Russian Roulette with the same very elements that created us -- water, air, soil, food. Haven't we learned enough from the Hudson River?"

Skartados' remarks touched upon the underlying issue of renewable energy alternatives which preclude the need for environmentally destructive energy exploration.

Songwriter Natalie Merchant, a local resident, expressed her concerns about fracking while offering copies of a short documentary featuring musical performances from a recent State of the State protest in Albany, titled Dear Governor Cuomo.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV4utozRAAk