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Barbara LiftonAssemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D/WF-125) has sent a letter to Assembly Speaker Silver and to the chairs of both the Health and Environmental Conservation Committees in the Assembly, strongly urging that funding for a comprehensive health study on high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) be added to the state budget. The DEC’s SGEIS featured no such study on the effects of the fracking process on human health.

“We heard from the DEC that there won’t be health impacts because of the robust nature of the proposed regulations New York will put in place if fracking goes forward.   But, in my view, to allow this heavy industry into our communities without such a full health study would be a grave disservice to the citizens of this state, especially for those who could have a well in their backyards,” she said.

The Assemblywoman spoke from her own experience in her two visits to Pennsylvania in which she met with a number of residents who had serious health problems that seemed likely to have been caused by gas drilling. She proposed that the study would examine the experience of other states and look at such issues as the toxicity of the chemicals used in the drilling and fracking process.  Lifton said that we actually now very little about many of the chemicals used in the fracking process.

Assemblywoman Lifton made clear that she felt that the findings of such a study are something that New Yorkers had a right to know.

“The people of New York deserve to know what possible health impacts might develop due to HVHF before there is further consideration of this activity,” she said.

Lifton announced Tuesday that a comprehensive healthy study of hydraulic fracturing will be included in the Assembly’s 2012-2013 budget resolution, the first step on the way to a final budget. Lifton first proposed the study in a letter to Assembly leadership sent last week. The study would fill a hole left by the DEC’s SGEIS in addressing the human health effects of the controversial drilling technique.

“This study will go a long way to answer the many questions New Yorkers have about what fracking would mean for their health if this goes forward,” said Lifton. “I hope the Senate will follow the Assembly’s leadership on this critical issue.”

The proposed study would look at the experience of other states and analyze the toxicity of the chemicals used in the fracturing process. It has been allocated $100,000 in the resolution. Lifton said that it is well worth protecting the health of citizens in the “frack zone.”

“In my trips to Pennsylvania, I have met with the parents of children suddenly too sick to go to school after drilling started. I know of multiple Pennsylvania residents who have had barium poisoning from drinking their water in the wake of fracking activity near their homes. We must ensure that we know fully what we could be getting into and we must put the health of New Yorkers before industry profits. said Lifton. “We simply can’t do that if we don’t know the risks.”

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