- By Mary Sweeney
- Opinions
Print 
I am a soon-to-be resident of Tompkins County and I am opposed to converting the Cayuga Power Plant to natural gas—a step that would encourage the dangerous practice of fracking for shale gas.My husband and I have lived in Broome County, New York for over 30 years. We love our home and hadn't planned to leave it. But we know that if Governor Cuomo or some future governor decides to permit fracking in New York, Broome County will be a prime target. Already, new pipelines from Pennsylvania snake across our landscape. A huge, noisy gas compressor station has been built in our town; there have been two fires at the station. We no longer feel secure here, and are looking forward to making Tompkins County our new home.
Fracking perpetuates dependence on fossil fuel and threatens our health, our environment, and the stability of our communities. Moreover, the price of fracked gas is likely to increase as the "sweet spots" in the shale are exhausted and the drilling rigs move on to less productive areas.
Upgrading the transmission lines would be a much more humane, sustainable, and ultimately less costly solution than converting the power plant.
Mary Sweeney
Windsor, NY
v1011