June 30, 2014
“In response to the Court of Appeals decision today affirming the rights of municipalities to ban fracking, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer and Elected Officials to Protect New York co-coordinator Julie Huntsman, Town of Otsego Councilwoman, released the following statement: ‘Today, the New York Court of Appeals reaffirmed the long-standing right of local communities to exercise control over land use decisions in order to shape their neighborhoods as they see fit.’ “
April 22, 2014
“Albany – Over the past months, Elected Officials to Protect New York – a group of more than 800 local elected officials from all 62 New York State counties – have passed resolutions in municipalities across the state urging renewed caution on fracking and touting municipal support for the growing opportunities presented by renewable energy for New York State. A group of elected officials held a press conference in Albany today to release the resolutions and speak to the concerns and great opportunities before the state.”
December 16, 2014
“Syracuse – The statewide non-partisan group of more than 850 elected officials from all 62 counties, Elected Officials to Protect New York (EOPNY), held a press conference today in the Syracuse Common Council chambers to release a new letter calling on Governor Cuomo to enact a minimum three to five year moratorium on fracking; an imperative given current and emerging science showing serious risks and harms of drilling and fracking. On behalf of EOPNY, the letter is signed by more than 140 elected officials from across New York. It comes the day after Governor Cuomo announced that a clear decision on fracking will come by the end of this month. The letter summarizes what has been learned about fracking since the group’s formation in 2012, outlining key areas of concern about negative impacts to public health, the environment, socioeconomic issues, increasing evidence that drilling and fracking exacerbate climate change, and speaking to the need for cumulative, comprehensive studies.”
July 9, 2013
Elected Officials to Protect New York Statement on Governor’s NY Sun Investment
“In response to the news today that Governor Cuomo awarded $54 million to fund large scale solar projects across New York State, New Paltz Town Supervisor Susan Zimet said, “On behalf of the Town of New Paltz and Elected Officials to Protect New York, representing 750 local elected officials from all 62 New York counties, we applaud Governor Cuomo’s NY-Sun initiative and the recent award of $54 million to fund large solar power projects in New York State. New York has always been a precedent-setting state, from abolition of slavery to the women’s suffrage movement to unparalleled infrastructure projects like the Erie Canal. Governor Cuomo’s historic step in leading the nation on solar energy, addressing climate change and growing our clean energy economy adds to this prominent history. Now that the carbon dioxide measurements in the Earth’s atmosphere have broken the dangerous milestone of 400 parts per million, Americans are looking for real leadership on climate change. That means aggressively reducing fossil fuel extraction and use, including fracking which threatens to greatly exacerbate climate change in the near and medium term. Whereas President Obama’s climate plan capitulates to the oil & gas industry and 20th century science, today Governor Cuomo did what very few elected leaders are doing – taking real action.””
March 6, 2013
Elected Officials to Protect New York Statement about NYS Assembly Fracking Moratorium
“Representing more than 600 local elected officials from every county in New York State, Elected Officials to Protect New York applauds the New York State Assembly for its leadership on a moratorium on fracking in order that the health impacts can be adequately considered prior to a decision whether to allow fracking. This is critically important for all New Yorkers and ensures that science can inform the decision. We also call on the New York State Senate to swiftly follow suit. Meanwhile, it’s paramount that New York State not ignore major concerns about the negative economic impacts of fracking. The state has acknowledged that its own economic analysis was inadequate, but has not done anything to address this major shortcoming. We call for a thorough study of the economic impacts of fracking to determine the extent of the burden it will place on local municipalities and existing industries. Economic impacts include drops in property values, losses to agriculture and tourism, and increased burden on municipal services such as first responders, police, road damage, and local infrastructure. The state must also examine the climate impacts of fracking, as a growing body of leading science indicates that fracking greatly exacerbates climate change.”
February 6, 2013
Elected Officials to Protect NY Declares Fracking a New Unfunded Mandate
“(Albany) – On the heels of a statement from the New York State Association of Counties calling fracking a new mandate and questioning how fracking will impact municipal budgets, Elected Officials to Protect New York (EOPNY) held a press conference detailing the costs of fracking on local governments and economies and called fracking a new unfunded mandate. EOPNY is a nonpartisan, geographically diverse group of 612 local elected officials from all 62 New York State counties. New York State’s fracking review has exhaustively considered – and significantly inflated – potential benefits of fracking but has entirely neglected to analyze negative municipal and economic impacts, leaving local governments and communities in a dangerous position as a key fracking decision deadline closes in. They concluded that, given the many remaining unanswered questions, there should be no decision by the arbitrary deadline of February 27. But if a decision must be made by then, there is enough information to say “no” to fracking in New York, but not enough to say ‘yes’.”
February 4, 2013
“(Rochester) On Monday, February 4 at 12:00 PM, Rochester City Councilmembers and other members of Elected Officials to Protect New York (EOPNY) held a press conference – which included Rochester City Councilmember Matt Haag, Rochester City Councilmember Elaine Spaull, Rochester City Councilmember Loretta Scott, Pittsford Mayor Robert Corby, Brighton Supervisor William Moehle, and Town of Caroline Deputy Supervisor Dominic Frongillo – detailing concerns about the costs of fracking and the inadequacy of New York State’s fracking study.”
January 28, 2013
“(Buffalo) On Monday, January 28 at 12:00 PM, Buffalo City Councilmembers and other members of Elected Officials to Protect New York (EOPNY) held a press conference – which included Buffalo City Council Majority Leader Demone Smith, Buffalo City Councilmember David Rivera, Buffalo City Councilmember Michael LoCurto, Town of Colden Councilmember Patrick Murphy, East Aurora Deputy Mayor Elizabeth Weberg, and Town of Caroline Deputy Supervisor Dominic Frongillo – detailing concerns about the costs of fracking and the inadequacy of New York State’s fracking study. As a February deadline looms for a decision about fracking, Buffalo region elected officials are among the group that consists of more than 600 local elected officials from all 62 NY counties. Speaking for EOPNY, the officials are taking objection to the fact that New York State has not considered the negative economic impacts of fracking, has not adequately looked at the health costs, and has not given attention to the heavy municipal burdens that would be associated with fracking.”
January 7, 2013
“(Binghamton) On Monday, January 7 at 12:30 PM, Elected Officials to Protect New York – representing over 560 elected officials from all 62 counties in NY – held a press conference urging Governor Cuomo to extend the comment period on fracking regulations to 90 days to allow local governments to comment on revised regulations, and calling for public participation in the state’s health review. Operating under the state’s Open Meetings Law, most local governments are unable to respond at all to critical fracking regulations under the current 30-day comment period that overlapped with the holidays. Concerning the state Department of Health’s secretive health review, EOPNY urges Governor Cuomo to abide by the same principles of transparency that EOPNY members are bound to follow, as elected officials themselves. Especially in a matter as profoundly important to all New Yorkers as the health impacts of unconventional gas drilling, Governor Cuomo must open the health review to the public for their review, participation, and comment.”
December 28, 2012
Release: Elected Officials’ Letter to Cuomo – Fracking Regs & Good Government
“Elected Officials to Protect New York has written an open letter to Governor Cuomo and D.E.C. Commissioner Martens (attached) urging an extension of the comment period on fracking regulations to 90 days to allow local governments to comment on the revised regulations. Operating under the state’s Open Meetings Law, most local governments will be unable to respond at all to these critical regulations under the current 30-day comment period.”
December 3, 2012
“(Syracuse) On Monday, December 3 at 2:00 PM, Elected Officials to Protect New York –
representing over 550 elected officials from all 62 counties in NY – held a press conference at Syracuse City Hall to release a letter detailing objections to the quiet release of irrelevant
regulations on November 29 and the secrecy and inadequacy of the state’s health review. December 3 marks the deadline for three outside experts to finish reviewing the Department of Health’s internal review of the health impacts of fracking. By contract, those experts were given only 25 hours to perform their review. Based on impacts explored in the now 4,000-page SGEIS, have the Department of Environmental Conservation and the DOH done so little to evaluate the public health impacts of fracking that it can be reviewed in 25 or fewer hours? The elected officials will detail their concerns and release a letter to Governor Cuomo, DEC Commissioner Martens, and DOH Commissioner Shah with information and requests stemming from their recent meeting with Commissioner Martens and DOH officials.”
