FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2010
2:34 PM
CONTACT: Riverkeeper [1]
Tina Posterli (516) 526-9371

Riverkeeper Commends State Decision to Exclude New York City Watershed From Gas Drilling
TARRYTOWN, NY - April 23 - Riverkeeper applauds New York State’s decision to protect the New York City Watershed from the threat of industrial gas drilling. Given the numerous environmental impacts associated with horizontal drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing, Riverkeeper and other environmental organizations and elected officials urged the state to prohibit this type of drilling within the unfiltered drinking water supply for half the state’s population.

“DEC’s decision to essentially take the Watershed off the table was the right move, and we appreciate the agency’s continuing commitment to safeguard water resources throughout the state,” said Riverkeeper President Alex Matthiessen.

While DEC’s recent decision does not permanently ban drilling in the Watershed, potential applications to drill will require separate, site-specific environmental reviews, a costly and time-consuming process that is likely to discourage gas companies from drilling there.

Riverkeeper will continue to press DEC to require the most stringent gas development regulations throughout the state, including measures to protect critical water supply infrastructure that lies outside the Watershed boundaries.

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Riverkeeper is an environmental watchdog organization whose mission is to protect the ecological integrity of the Hudson River and its tributaries, and to safeguard the drinking water supply of New York City and the lower Hudson Valley. For more information, please visit 2