Fracking list generates more heat

Albany

Natural gas hydrofracking opponents turned up the heat Thursday, pointing out two more companies working on the state's hydrofracking environmental review that also appeared on a list of members of a statewide gas lobbying group that chided Gov. Andrew Cuomo for undue delays.

That brings the number of companies to three, and foes say that raises potential conflict of interest concerns that should force the state to scrap its Revised Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement, now four years in the making, and start over. A delay could push back any decision indefinitely.

At issue are companies Ecology and Environment, Alpha Geoscience, and URS Corp., which are part of reviews by the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority on whether hydrofracking ought to be allowed in the state. On Monday, those three companies also appeared among several hundred members of the Independent Oil & Gas Association of New York as part of a letter to Cuomo questioning whether his decision will be based on "science and real-world experience" or "misunderstanding and misrepresentation."

"It is ridiculous that multiple contractors with industry ties were hired by two agencies for huge sums of money, with the appearance of advocating for drilling. All the while we were told money could not be put in the budget for a comprehensive Health Impact Assessment. It is certainly flattering that an industry consultant was hired to do specific review of our comments showing how contaminates (sic) will get into aquifers but this just reeks of government scandal," pointed out Wes Gillingham, program director of Catskill Mountainkeeper.

That call was joined by citizen and environmental groups Common Cause/NY, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Food & Water Watch, Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy, Center for Environmental Health, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Citizens for Water, NYH2O, Hudson Riverkeeper, Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, and Environmental Advocates of New York.

Brad Gill, executive director of Independent Oil & Gas Association, returned fire against hydrofracking critics. "The credibility of several firms who employ our individual IOGA members has been recklessly challenged. It is absurd to allege that these experts, possessing an informed, scientifically based opinion, would sacrifice the respect and reputation they have earned," he said. IOGA purged the members list from its online letter that had been present on Monday's version.

A DEC statement Thursday said that after reports about contractors' membership in the oil and gas association, it asked all three companies to clarify their membership status, then received letters from each stating they are not IOGA members and that IOGA did not ask their permission before listing the company in the letter.

On Thursday, Buffalo-based Ecology and Environment dropped its IOGA membership, which the company said it had paid for employees to attend an IOGA conference and to get the group's newsletter. In its letter to the DEC, E&E's lawyer said IOGA "misrepresented E&E's affiliation and "never obtained authorization" from E&E for its endorsement of Gill's letter to Cuomo. E&E had written a portion of the 2011 DEC review that examined the socio-economic impacts of hydrofracking in the state, and critics at the time blasted the findings as overly optimistic while ignoring potential problems.

Also backing away Thursday from IOGA was Alpha Geoscience, based in Clifton Park, which said individual employees, but not the company, held IOGA memberships. "It was not accurate to list Alpha Geoscience as a corporate member of IOGA NY in your April 22 letter, and please be advised that you are not authorized to issue correspondence on behalf of Alpha Geoscience," a company official wrote to Gill.

Alpha Geoscience was hired by NYSERDA to respond to an analysis on potential hydrofracking risks to water submitted by several environmental groups to DEC's initial review. URS Corp., also consulting with DEC to prepare the environmental review, was previously hired by NYSERDA to provide analysis on water-related issues associated with gas production.

URS officials did not provide comment. The company's letter to IOGA, provided by the state agency, expressed disappointment, saying IOGA never got its permission to endorse any position undertaken by IOGA over hydrofracking.

bnearing@timesunion.com • 518-454-5094 • @Bnearing10