DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH COMMISSIONER DR. SHAH SAYS HE NEEDS MORE TIME
TO COMPLETE HEALTH REVIEW FORCING THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSERVATION TO MISS KEY DEADLINE
In an incredible victory for Mountainkeeper and activists across New
York State – Dr. Shah, the State Department of Health Commissioner sent a
letter to Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe
Martens stating:
“As we have been reviewing the scope of these studies, I have
determined — and prudence dictates — that the DOH Public Health Review
will require additional time to complete based on the complexity of the
issues. My team and I will be in Pennsylvania and Washington in the
coming days for first-hand briefings on these studies and their
progress, which will assist in informing the New York review. I have
also extended the term of the DOH outside expert researchers to continue
to assist my review. I anticipate delivering the completed Public
Health Review to you within a few weeks, along with my
recommendations.” Read the entire letter here
In response Commissioner Martens issued a press release stating:
“Commissioner Shah advised me today that the Public Health Review of
the Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS) of
high-volume hydraulic fracturing is still on-going. The Department of
Health’s (DOH) Public Health Review, which was undertaken at my request,
is important to our consideration of high-volume hydraulic fracturing
and I will not issue a final SGEIS until that review is complete and I
have received Dr. Shah’s recommendations. He has indicated he expects
his review to be complete in a few weeks after he has had an opportunity
to review recent studies underway which are pertinent to the evaluation
of high-volume hydraulic fracturing impacts on public health.” Read the entire press release here
According to Dr. Kathleen Nolan, MD, MSL Catskill Mountainkeeper’s High Peaks Regional Director:
“As Mountainkeeper has long recommended, Dr. Shah is wisely taking
the time to come to a careful decision about what needs to happen to
protect New York from the harmful effects of fracking. We hope that his
future plans include a call for a rigorous, comprehensive, open and
participatory Health Impact Assessment that will define and quantify the
full range of health hazards involved in the production and
distribution of natural gas.” Read more... http://www.catskillmountainkeeper.org/breakind-news-huge-victory-fracking-delayed-in-new-york/
