Gas watch: Still a long way to go
NORWICH – Even if officials decide to proceed with shale gas development in New York as anticipated in April, regulators would have a long way to go before issuing drilling permits to energy companies.
Governor Cuomo and his environmental conservation chief reportedly said last week that a decision on whether shale gas drilling will proceed in New York will be made in a couple of months.
While the news was welcomed by pro-drillers and companies that have been waiting for a regulatory framework since drilling was halted in 2008, the DEC most likely won’t be finished reviewing the tens of thousands of comments it has received on the draft regulations until much later in the year. Plus a panel created to ensure that the DEC and all other agencies and local governments involved in hydraulic fracturing activities have the adequate resources to monitor them has postponed several meetings.
DEC Press Office spokesperson Lisa King said the final Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement’s documents are expected to be released this year.
“If the final documents determine high-volume hydraulic fracturing could move forward in New York, we could begin to review permit applications after the final SGEIS and findings statement are released,” she said.
Chenango County’s Economic Development Consultant Steven Palmatier, whose contract with the county was approved Monday for a fourth year, said even if the governor gives the go-ahead to shale gas drilling, the state would have a long way to go to develop its portion of the Marcellus and Utica shale resources because not all of the wells permitted could be drilled at once.
“There may be one or two in the state that would be ready to go,” he said. In Chenango County, according to King, there are 12 well permit applications pending, including two submitted just last Wednesday, one for a well in Smithville and one in Coventry. All were submitted by Norse Energy Inc., the energy company that has already produced natural gas in the region’s subsurface sandstone formations.
The DEC would have to ramp up staffing in order to meet permitting and well site stipulations contained in the SGEIS. Currently, there are only three DEC employees overseeing Chenango County’s region.
Palmatier also cautioned there would be lawsuits that follow, between landowners and/or companies and local governments that may have imposed bans on drilling. Whether the courts placed injunctions to stop the process or the courts allow it to proceed while reviewing cases is not clear, he said.
Nonetheless, Palmatier said he feels some optimism that the state is moving forward.
“At least it seems that anti-drilling people are being listened to, but have no control over the process,” he said late last week.
Governor Cuomo and his environmental conservation chief reportedly said last week that a decision on whether shale gas drilling will proceed in New York will be made in a couple of months.
While the news was welcomed by pro-drillers and companies that have been waiting for a regulatory framework since drilling was halted in 2008, the DEC most likely won’t be finished reviewing the tens of thousands of comments it has received on the draft regulations until much later in the year. Plus a panel created to ensure that the DEC and all other agencies and local governments involved in hydraulic fracturing activities have the adequate resources to monitor them has postponed several meetings.
DEC Press Office spokesperson Lisa King said the final Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement’s documents are expected to be released this year.
“If the final documents determine high-volume hydraulic fracturing could move forward in New York, we could begin to review permit applications after the final SGEIS and findings statement are released,” she said.
Chenango County’s Economic Development Consultant Steven Palmatier, whose contract with the county was approved Monday for a fourth year, said even if the governor gives the go-ahead to shale gas drilling, the state would have a long way to go to develop its portion of the Marcellus and Utica shale resources because not all of the wells permitted could be drilled at once.
“There may be one or two in the state that would be ready to go,” he said. In Chenango County, according to King, there are 12 well permit applications pending, including two submitted just last Wednesday, one for a well in Smithville and one in Coventry. All were submitted by Norse Energy Inc., the energy company that has already produced natural gas in the region’s subsurface sandstone formations.
The DEC would have to ramp up staffing in order to meet permitting and well site stipulations contained in the SGEIS. Currently, there are only three DEC employees overseeing Chenango County’s region.
Palmatier also cautioned there would be lawsuits that follow, between landowners and/or companies and local governments that may have imposed bans on drilling. Whether the courts placed injunctions to stop the process or the courts allow it to proceed while reviewing cases is not clear, he said.
Nonetheless, Palmatier said he feels some optimism that the state is moving forward.
“At least it seems that anti-drilling people are being listened to, but have no control over the process,” he said late last week.
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