H20 Man and his Anti-Fracking Friends Deserve Support and Thanks
The great DUer H20 Man has stood up to power -- and put his own health on the line -- in working to stop the "Fracking" of New York State. It seems like their Herculean efforts may be paying off.
According to the NYT, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's administration is restarting the regulatory process of hydrofracking from the beginning.
Shift by Cuomo on Gas Drilling Prompts Both Anger and Praise
Nathaniel Brooks for The New York Times
ALBANY — A few months after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo was poised to approve hydraulic fracturing in several struggling New York counties, his administration is reversing course and starting the regulatory process over, garnering praise from environmental groups and stirring anger among industry executives and upstate landowners.
Ten days ago, after nearly four years of review by state regulators, the governor bowed to entreaties from environmentalists to conduct another study, this one an examination of potential impacts on public health. Neither the governor nor other state officials have given any indication of how long the study might take.
Then on Friday, state environmental officials said they would restart the regulatory rule-making process, requiring them to repeat a number of formal steps, including holding a public hearing, and almost certainly pushing a decision into next year.
The move also means that after already receiving nearly 80,000 public comments, the state Department of Environmental Conservation will be soliciting more input from New Yorkers about hydrofracking, or fracking, as the drilling process for natural gas is known.
CONTINUED...
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/01/nyregion/with-new-delays-a-growing-sense-that-gov-andrew-cuomo-will-not-approve-gas-drilling.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0&wpisrc=nl_wonk
Let's give thanks to a great human being, H20 Man, and his colleagues who have done so much to raise awareness of fracking and done so much to oppose it.
= new reply since forum marked as read
This is great news! H2O Man has worked so hard at the fracking issue in NY. Thank you H2O Man! 
And, thank you Octafish for posting this excellent news!
--imm
In fact hubby and I caught part of the propaganda movie that shows fracking in a hugely favorable light. Millions of dollars for landowners, instant riches for cash-strapped municipal governments, the whole bit.
Hopefully the owners thinking of signing up learn of the serious detriments before it's too late for them (and us). 
Seriously. 
Thanks for the thread, Octafish.
I'd be kicked off this board. 
I thank you- The earth thanks you! 
He rocks! H2O Man!
.... except the person who called me a "cartoon character."
I've been working on typing up an important document today, for use in the struggle to protect the environment from the hazards of hydrofracking. It's something that people from a three-county region in upstate New York have wanted me to do. More, it's an important enough project that, in order to get it to the quality I want, it is as difficult a project as I've ever done.
But it will get done.
About a month ago, Governor Cuomo was preparing to give the "green light" for hydrofracking in the state's Southern Tier. As some of you are aware, I have a long-term working relationship with one of the members of Cuomo's "advisory committee" on fracking. So, from time to time, I hear things that aren't reported in the media.
The strong, organized grass roots response to the "outhern Tier sacrifice" plan helped to slow it down. So did the certainty of law cases being filed. We definitely would have won, in terms of getting an injunction, based upon the faulty science of the SGEIS. Cuomo knew this; because he is moving forward with his 2016 presidential run, he did not want to lose such a court case. It's not because he cares about the environment per say -- he is a cold, ambitious politician.
Keep in mind that the top level people in the county and state democratic committees have informed Cuomo that the Democratic Left (or, in their words, the "Far Left"
provides the core of activists for much of the grass roots, door-to-door campaigning. Cuomo's stance on hydrofracking has impacted the level of their participation in numerous races across the state. Hence, the governor's recent shift in position.
None of us believe that Cuomo will do anything to help us, out of the goodness of his heart. Or that he will continue to do the right thing, should the opportunity to reap more energy corporation contributions come up. And so it is essential that we continue to work just as hard today, as we did yesterday, or last week, or last month.
(Also -- if you'll excuse my skipping about here -- the anti-hydrofracking movement recently strengthened ties with the Onondaga Nation .... last month, there was a great day of speeches, presentations, and live music at Onondaga. And that, as I've noted on DU several times in the past year, opens up other levels for environmentalists et al to engage in the Good Fight.)
Earlier today, while taking a break from writing, I came upon this OP/thread. What a nice thing for a tired Old Man to come across! And, this evening, while going to a couple small meetings held at associates' homes, my friends thought this was really encouraging, too. So thank you all, for your kind words.
Back to work!
Superman and the Batman were also cartoon characters.
DU: always a fool or two to be suffered.
Thanks for all you do, for fighting the Good Fight.
thanks h20 man
on edit: i claim not to own this video. the people who distributed it own it
fracking gone askew.
