Ithaca (WSYR-TV) - A top candidate for governor found out firsthand Thursday just how passionate people in the Ithaca area are about the controversial natural gas drilling technique known as hydrofracking.
Thursday's stop in Ithaca was supposed to be a short one for the state's current Attorney General and Democratic candidate for governor. After Cuomo's routine campaign speech ended, people wanted to make sure he was aware how important the hydrofracking issue is to them.
Some estimates say billions of dollars of natural gas are trapped in the Marcellus shale, which runs through New York State, including the Finger Lakes and Central New York. The controversial drilling method uses a high-pressure combination of water and chemicals to break through the shale and release the gas.
About an hour and a half south of Ithaca is a place called Dimock Township, Pa., which has seen gas rigs popping up swiftly. The town has also had to deal with some environmental concerns because of the rush to drill. Citizens expressed their concerns to Cuomo that the same could happen in their backyards.
"Let me tell you my position," Cuomo said. "Until we know what we're doing we shouldn't do it. Until we know we're safe and we're protecting the health of people and we're not going to have an environmental disaster, we'll spend years dealing with we shouldn't do anything."
Those that couldn't fit inside to hear Cuomo speak, set up outside to make their point about this controversial gas drilling technique. They wanted to make sure the who could be the next Governor heard their points.
"There is no way in which there is a benefit to rushing into hydrofracking," said Joyce Morgenroth.
"Seeing the kinds of disasters that can occur, the risk management very strongly says wait until the EPA is done," said Stephen Emlen.
Republican candidate Rick Lazio supports the development of natural gas reserves in what he says is an environmentally friendly manner. But he also says an environmental study must determine how development can proceed.
