Sen. Thompson to DEC: Extend hydrofracking comment period  State
Sen. Antoine Thompson (D-Erie/Niagara) wants DEC Commissioner
Pete Grannis to extend the comment period on the DEC’s proposed
regs on the natural gas drilling process known as hydrofracking.
The current deadline, which expires tomorrow, was pushed back
from Nov. 30; Thompson wants to extend it to the end of
February.  “Gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale beneath New York
State opens up tremendous opportunities, but also poses risks to
the health, welfare and pocketbook of New Yorkers if not done
properly,” Thompson said in a statement.  The 800-page Draft
Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement examines the
potential impacts from horizontal drilling and high-volume
hydraulic fracturing. While the industry claims the process is
safe and effective, environmental groups and regulators point to
the massive amount of water it uses and the need to come up with
a manageable technique for removing chemicals from that water
after drilling is