Andrew’s Football Follies

So, New York now plays second-fiddle to . . . Ohio?

So noted Wall Street Journal editorialist Jason Riley last week: Two governors in states “well-positioned to take advantage of the nation’s shale gas boom” are going in very different directions.

Thus far, Ohio’s John Kasich has lapped New York’s Andrew Cuomo. Big time.

Seeing what the shale oil and gas extraction process of fracking has done economically for neighboring Pennsylvania, Kasich committed his state to a similar course.

Indeed, he’s using the expanded tax revenues coming from shale exploration to overhaul Ohio’s tax code.

AP

Andrew Cuomo

To wit, Kasich intends to raise so-called severance taxes on shale drillers while simultaneously cutting income taxes — a plan likely to pass next year.

Leaving the Empire State stuck in the starting gate. Again.

As Riley notes, Cuomo’s idea of “development” for the shale-rich yet economically bombed-out upstate region is . . . subsidies for the Buffalo Bills football team.

Seriously.

Cuomo fulfilled an admitted “top priority” by keeping the Bills in Buffalo (the team has been flirting with a move to Toronto for several years) — via $226 million in public subsidies for stadium renovations.

It’s nice that there’s a New York NFL...

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IHS: All Lower 48 states benefiting from shale

Monday, December 24, 2012 10:20 AM ET
IHS: All Lower 48 states benefiting from shale

By Bryan Schutt

The unconventional oil and gas revolution is contributing to the economies both inside and outside the shale boom, according to a recent study from IHS.

The study, part of a series documenting the economic benefits of unconventional oil and gas production, measured the impact of unconventional activities in terms of jobs, economic value and government revenue for each state. Researchers looked at state-by-state results to conclude that, unsurprisingly, the economic contributions of shale are mostly driven by activity in the 16 states with production. Activity in the top 10 producing states supports nearly 1.2 million jobs, according to the report.

While two states with a rich history of development, Texas and Oklahoma, had a combined total of more than 650,000 jobs in 2012 linked to unconventional activity, Pennsylvania, North Dakota and Ohio had a combined 180,000 jobs linked to unconventional oil and gas activity.

The report also found that a significant portion of economic activity is also found in the nonproducing states. The 32 states in the Lower 48 that lack major unconventional...

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Yoko Ono, Matt Damon and OPEC Versus American Energy Independence

Raymond J. Learsy in Huff Post Business  OP/ED 12/27/2012

There she was, on the December 26th letters to the editor corner of the New York Times, militating against the extraction of America's vast resources of shale gas and oil through fracking technology. Yoko Ono's condemnation is absolute and without equivocation nor codified substantiation: "But the evidence shows that there is no amount of regulation that can make fracking safe." All this after a full page ad in the New York Times some weeks ago and a monster billboard hovering over New York City's byways with its thousands upon thousands of car passers-by screaming, "Imagine There's No Fracking," a variation of her oft intoned "Imagine There's No War."

In essence, to prohibit fracking, as is Yoko Ono's wont, is tantamount to ripping out the nation's rail system and all that it would entail to the economy, to the management of carbon gas emissions, to the workforce, to the wellbeing of communities, all because of the risk of an occasional train wreck.

Yes, fracking has its problems and they became clear very early on with low budget excursions into the new realm of fracking, with little oversight and little knowledge of the full dimensions of fracking technology. But within the few years, that...

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Gas rush unlikely in '13 even with Cuomo OK

This article should be our incentive or a prod to continue communicating with the governors office making our position known. We need to move forward with gas exploration and drilling. Please folks keep up the communications!!! JLCpulse

Written by  Mary Esch Associated Press  12/25/2012

ALBANY — After more than four years of environmental review marked by escalating battles between the industry and anti-drilling protesters, New York regulators appear likely to complete strict new regulations for shale gas development by the end of February.

But it remains to be seen if drilling actually begins. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Department of Environmental Conservation have refused to say whether a 41/2-year moratorium on high-volume hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, will be lifted when regulations are completed. Industry insiders say development will happen slowly if the ban is lifted. And opponents have vowed to escalate protests.

With a depressed natural gas market and threats of lawsuits and civil disobedience from opposition groups, a shale gas boom like that seen in Pennsylvania is unlikely to hit New York if Cuomo gives drillers the green light in 2013.

“My sense of it is, there will be some activity, but I don’t see it as being a big land grab,”

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Going down! Commissioners cut property tax rate by 5.9 percent

Review Photo/JAMES LOEWENSTEIN From left: Chief County Clerk Michelle Shedden, McLinko, Commissioner Daryl Miller, and Commissioner Mark Smith.

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JLCNY 01-09-13 Albany Rally Information

Dear Friends and Natural Gas Supporters,

In an attempt to show support for natural gas drilling in NY and to show our political leaders that this issue is important to us, we are organizing a rally in Albany on Wednesday January 9^th 2013 to coincide with Governor Cuomo’s State of the State message. We know that opponents of drilling will have a presence there and we must also.

Preliminary plans call for buses to be leaving from Corning at 8 am, Deposit/Windsor at 9 am, Owego at 9:00am, and Binghamton at 9:30. We plan to arrive in Albany at noon. Currently, we plan to leave Albany at 3 pm to return home.

Please be advised that there will be quite a bit of standing, little opportunity for comfort after we get to Albany, and quite a bit of walking.

As this moves ahead, we’ll provide additional details. However, it is imperative that we know who will be joining us so we can finalize our plans. Please contact your coalition contact as soon as possible to tell them you’ll be going. Please be prepared to share your name, phone number, and email address (if you have one) so that your contact can properly record your reservation.

Sincerely,

Dan Fitzsimmons

DF/brc

EPA Releases Progress Report on Hydraulic Fracturing Study

From US EPA 12/21/2012

Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a report highlighting the progress it has made on its national study to understand the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. The report has been posted online at EPA’s Hydraulic Fracturing Study website.

EPA initiated the study in 2010 at the request of the Congress and today’s progress report outlines work currently underway. The progress report summarizes the current status of 18 research projects undertaken as part of the study and updates information about the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. The report does not draw conclusions about the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources.

In addition to the progress report, EPA will be hosting a one-hour public webinar on Thursday, January 3^rd, 2013 at 2:00pm EST, and again on Friday, January 4^th, 2013 at 12:00pm EST. The webinar will provide project-specific updates that include research approach, status, and next steps. The webinar will also provide updates on five technical roundtables held in November 2012. To register for a public webinar, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/hfstudy/getinvolved.html

Thank you for your interest in EPA’s study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources.

JLCNY New Year Wishes for Governor Cuomo Campaign

Dear Friends and Natural Gas Supporters,.

In the spirit of the season the JLCNY has prepared a New Year’s greeting (see the file linked to here) for you to down load, print, sign, and mail to Governor Cuomo at the following address….

The Honorable Andrew M. CuomoGovernor of NY StateNY State Capitol BuildingAlbany, NY 12224 .

Please take advantage of this seasonal opportunity now and throughout January 2013 to let the Governor know that we’re still here, that we’re thinking of him, and to remind him that we’re still expecting him to allow natural gas development to move forward with no more delays.

.We know the Governor is hearing a lot of noise from the anti natural gas activists. We need to make sure he hears from us more! .So in addition to mailing him the New Year’s greeting, please call the Governor at both of the following numbers…

CALL GOVERNOR CUOMO.518-474-8390 AND 212-681-4580 …and tell him the following… .·

We have waited long enough to move ahead with natural gas - -please finalize the regulations and make NY open for business!· The whole world is turning to natural gas to help...

Attachments:

File	File size
BarnCard01121712.pdf	196 Kb

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No Fracking in the Promised Land

Promised Land, a new film co-written by and starring Matt Damon, comes out on Dec. 28.  Do as you like, but based on what I know, I will not be rushing out to see it.

The subject of Promised Land is the potential damage of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, on a small Pennsylvania town.  An unbiased treatment of this subject would contribute to the nation's understanding of hydraulic fracturing, a drilling technique whose recent technological advances have transformed America's energy future.  Such an unbiased consideration would reflect the fact that of the 50,000 oil and gas wells that have been drilled using the technique, none has resulted in significant groundwater pollution.  Nor is there evidence of adverse effects of air pollution on humans or animals living in the vicinity of fracking operations (just the sort of damage that apparently plays a central role in this film).

There is, however, incontrovertible evidence that fracking has the potential to transform America into the world's largest energy-producer.  That evidence was the basis of the International Energy Agency's recent projection that the U.S. would surpass Saudi Arabia in oil and gas production by 2020 and achieve energy-independence by 2035.  Maybe that is why,

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Fracking Health Impact Study Details Requested By New York Environmental Groups

AP |  By By MARY ESCH Posted: 12/18/2012 4:33 pm EST |  Updated: 12/18/2012 5:20 pm EST in Huff Post

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A coalition of environmental groups called on New York state officials Tuesday to release details of a health impact study for shale gas drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing.

Representatives of a dozen prominent organizations signed a letter to Health Commissioner Nirav Shah and Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joseph Martens. They asked them to make public the health impact study being evaluated by a scientific panel, and called for public hearings and a 60-day public comment period on the health study.

A DEC spokeswoman referred questions to the health department, which didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

DEC did the health study as part of an environmental impact review of shale gas development which started in July 2008 and is expected to be completed within a few months.

Martens announced in September that he was rejecting demands from health and environmental groups to commission a comprehensive health impact study by university experts on shale gas development. Such a study would likely scrutinize the potential for myriad health impacts, from diesel exhaust air pollution to sexually transmitted diseases spread by out-of-state well site...

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