Is fracked gas really banned in New York?

To the Editor:

As a founding member of Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline, I am greatly concerned about Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposal for a new fracked-gas power plant to be built in the Sheridan Hollow neighborhood of Albany.

Although the governor banned fracking in New York State due to the health hazards of fracked gas, he continues to expand the use of fracked gas in the state. This encourages fracking to continue in other states, exposing their residents to the health effects of fracking and all of us to climate warming.

The Sheridan Hollow neighborhood, which is a people-of-color neighborhood, already has increased incidents of asthma and other health concerns due to the Sheridan Avenue Steam Plant (which originally burned coal to make steam to heat the capitol and now uses fracked gas) and a garbage incinerator from 1981 to 1994.

Placing infrastructure projects with negative health impacts in such neighborhoods is very common, but inexcusable.

Many of us think that there are renewable-energy solutions, primarily using geothermal and solar systems, to create a micro-grid to heat the capitol. We must stop disproportionally exposing residents in challenged neighborhoods to health hazards so that others can reap the benefits of these projects. In the end, we will all be affected by the accompanying climate warming.

There will be a free public forum about fracked gas, health problems and environmental justice in relation to the proposed Sheridan Hollow power plant at the First United Methodist Church at 1 Gilligan Road in East Greenbush on June 25 at 6:30 p.m.

Featured speakers include Merton Simpson, Albany County Legislator and co-chairman of the Sheridan Hollow Alliance for Renewable Energy, and Dr. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and Environment at the University at Albany who has done extensive research on the health effects of fracking.

This event is sponsored by Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline and is co-sponsored by Sheridan Hollow Alliance for Renewable Energy, NY Climate Advocacy Project, and Community Advocates for Sustainable Energy.

Becky Meier

Canaan, New York

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