A01685 Summary:

BILL NOA01685
 
SAME ASSAME AS S00673
 
SPONSORColton (MS)
 
COSPNSRRosenthal, Paulin, Miller, Jaffee, Jacobs, Scarborough, Weisenberg, Kellner, Millman, Abinanti, Crespo, Dinowitz, Weinstein, Weprin, Schimel, Ramos, Roberts, Skartados, Peoples-Stokes, Ryan, Mosley, Gunther, Russell
 
MLTSPNSRBrennan, Clark, Cymbrowitz, Glick, Nolan, Robinson, Thiele
 
Amd SS23-0501 & 23-0305, add S17-0513, En Con L
 
Prohibits the use of hydraulic fracturing in the extraction of oil and gas; prohibits acceptance, disposal and/or processing of any fluid used in a hydraulic fracturing process.
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A01685 Actions:

BILL NOA01685
 
01/09/2013referred to environmental conservation
01/08/2014referred to environmental conservation
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A01685 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A1685
 
SPONSOR: Colton (MS)
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to prohibiting the use of hydraulic fracturing and the disposal and/or processing of any fluid which was used in a hydraulic fracturing process   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: The purpose of this legislation is to prohibit the use of hydraulic fracturing in the process of drilling for natural gas and/or oil and to prohibit the disposal and/or processing of hydrofracking fluids and drill =nines.   SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Section 1 of the bill amends paragraph b of subdivision 1 of section 23-0501 of the environmental conservation law by adding a new subpara- graph 4 which defines "Hydraulic Fracturing" to mean "fracturing of rock by man-made fluid-driven fracturing techniques for the purpose of stimu- lating natural gas or oil well production. Any fluid used in such a fracturing technique shall be deemed a 'hydraulic fracturing-nude, including water or liquid propane gas." Section 2 of the bill amends section 23-0305 of the environmental conservation law by adding a new subdivision 15 to prohibit the Depart- ment of Environmental Conservation from issuing any permit for the drilling or operation of any well proposing to use hydraulic fracturing or hydraulic fracturing fluids for the extraction of gas and/or oil. Section 3 of the bill amends subdivision 3 of section 23-0501 of the environmental conservation law by renumbering it to subdivision 4 of section 23-0501 and adds a new subdivision 3, paragraph a, to prohibit the Department of Environmental Conservation from issuing any permit for the drilling or operation of any well proposing to use hydraulic frac- turing or hydraulic fracturing fluids for the extraction of gas and/or oil; and, paragraph b that defines hydraulic fracturing as the fractur- ing of rock by Mat-made fluid-driven fracturing techniques for the purpose of stimulating natural gas or oil well production. Section 4 of the bill amends the environmental conservation law by adding a new section 17-0513 to prohibit the acceptance, disposal and /or processing of any fluid (including drill cutting) used in a hydrau- lic fracturing process. Drilling fluids include drilling mud, chemical additives contained in or added to drilling fluids during hydraulic fracturing process, flow back water and any other residual liquids. Drill cuttings include solid products removed from the well bore during an oil or gas well drilling operation. Section 5 sets an immediate effective date.   JUSTIFICATION: As the price of oil continues its meteoric rise due to demand and regional instability in oil producing nations, the cry for fuel alternatives including natural gas gets louder. In addition, the need for job creation becomes more imperative as New Yorkers try to recover from the economic crises of recent years and the state attempts to balance an out of control budget. Each of these mounting concerns compels the State to utilize its large natural gas reserves to alleviate these problems. Unfortunately, in our haste to find an expedient and viable solution to these issues the State could easily create a situ- ation where we put our citizens at grave risk of harm from an environ- mental disaster by expanding the use of hydraulic fracturing methods of extracting natural gas and oil. The extraction of natural gas and oil reserves using hydraulic fractur- ing presents significant risk to the environment. This method of natural gas and oil extraction utilizes water combined with multiple chemical additives, some of which are toxic and have been shown to be associated with public health risks such as cancer and developmental delays. Unfor- tunately many companies involved in drilling have been resistant to revealing which chemicals are contained in their fracturing fluids, making it difficult for communities to assess their risk due to drilling operations. There are also additional chemical contamination risks posed by transportation of chemicals to drilling sites and the storage of the millions of gallons of used fluids that are produced through the drill- ing process. Most importantly, a large proportion of the stale' s drinking water supplies come from areas located above the Utica and Marcellus Shale geological formations where much of the state's natural gas reserves exist. Use of hydraulic fracturing to extract these reserves inherently creates a tremendous risk of contamination to the State's drinking water supply and in turn risk of a significant public health crisis affecting millions of people both upstate and downstate. Moreover, communities located above the Utica and Marcellus Shales would be further burdened by the construction of new roads to accommodate drilling sites, increased traffic, and potential decreases in air quali- ty due to emissions from drilling operations. In addition, the state currently allows hydrofracking waste products, including drill cuttings (pulverized rock) and drilling fluid, to be dumped in OUT landfills, spread on our fields and roads and "treated" in waste treatment facilities that are not necessarily equipped to properly treat such materials. Much of this hydrofracking waste includes low-lev- el radioactive waste such as Ra-226 which is a /mown carcinogen and is especially dangerous if inhaled or ingested. It is not a stretch of the imagination to see that these waste products could very easily find their way into local ground water directly exposing people by ingestion of the water or by inhaling dust that comes from local landfills or from roads and fields where it has been spread. A significant amount of this hydtofracking waste is being imported from outside New York, primarily from neighboring Pennsylvania. Trucks cross New York State borders on a daily basis carrying this highly dangerous waste into our state and place many of our citizens at great risk. The risk of catastrophic danger to the environment, especially the state's drinking water supplies, as a result hydraulic fracturing far outweighs the potential for job creation and promotion of a.natural gas alternative to oil. Therefore, the practice of hydraulic fracturing and the disposal and/ or processing of hydrofracking fluids and drill cuttings should be banned throughout New York State.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2011-12: A.7218-B/Encon; S.4220-B/Encon   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: Yet to be determined.   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.
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A01685 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          1685
 
                               2013-2014 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                       (Prefiled)
 
                                     January 9, 2013
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  COLTON,  ROSENTHAL,  MAISEL, PAULIN, MILLER,
          JAFFEE, JACOBS, STEVENSON, SCARBOROUGH, WEISENBERG, KELLNER,  MILLMAN,
          ABINANTI,   CRESPO,   DINOWITZ,  WEINSTEIN,  WEPRIN,  SCHIMEL,  RAMOS,
          ROBERTS, SKARTADOS, PEOPLES-STOKES -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M.  of  A.

          BRENNAN,  CLARK, CYMBROWITZ, GIBSON, GLICK, NOLAN, ROBINSON, THIELE --
          read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
 
        AN ACT to amend the  environmental  conservation  law,  in  relation  to
          prohibiting  the  use  of hydraulic fracturing and the disposal and/or
          processing of any fluid which was used in a hydraulic fracturing proc-
          ess
 
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section  1.  Paragraph  b  of  subdivision 1 of section 23-0501 of the
     2  environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new subparagraph 4
     3  to read as follows:
     4    (4) "Hydraulic fracturing" means fracturing of rock by man-made fluid-
     5  driven fracturing techniques for the purpose of stimulating natural  gas

     6  or  oil  well production.  Any fluid used in such a fracturing technique
     7  shall be deemed a  "hydraulic  fracturing  fluid",  including  water  or
     8  liquid propane gas.
     9    §  2. Section 23-0305 of the environmental conservation law is amended
    10  by adding a new subdivision 15 to read as follows:
    11    15. The department shall not issue a permit for the drilling or opera-
    12  tion of any well proposing to  use  hydraulic  fracturing  or  hydraulic
    13  fracturing  fluids,  as  such  terms are defined by subparagraph four of
    14  paragraph b of subdivision one of section 23-0501 of this  article,  for
    15  the extraction of gas and/or oil.
    16    §  3.  Subdivision 3 of section 23-0501 of the environmental conserva-
    17  tion law is renumbered subdivision 4 and a new subdivision 3 is added to

    18  read as follows:
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03421-01-3

        A. 1685                             2
 
     1    3. The department shall not issue a permit for the drilling or  opera-
     2  tion  of  any  well  proposing  to use hydraulic fracturing or hydraulic
     3  fracturing fluids for the extraction of gas and/or oil.
     4    §  4.  The  environmental  conservation law is amended by adding a new
     5  section 17-0513 to read as follows:
     6  § 17-0513. Prohibition on acceptance, disposal and/or processing of  any
     7               fluid used in a hydraulic fracturing process.

     8    1.  Notwithstanding  any  provision  of law, rule or regulation to the
     9  contrary, the acceptance, disposal and/or  processing  of  any  drilling
    10  fluids  or  drill  cuttings  in this state, when such drilling fluids or
    11  drill cuttings have been used in  a  hydraulic  fracturing  process,  is
    12  prohibited.
    13    2. For the purposes of this section:
    14    (a)  "Drilling  fluids"  shall  mean  drilling mud, chemical additives
    15  contained in or added to drilling fluids during the hydraulic fracturing
    16  drilling process, flow back water that returns to the surface after  the
    17  hydraulic  fracturing process, or any other residual liquids involved in
    18  drilling.
    19    (b) "Drill cuttings" shall mean solid products removed from  the  well

    20  bore during an oil or gas well drilling operation.
    21    (c)  "Hydraulic  fracturing" shall mean the fracturing of rock by man-
    22  made fluid-driven fracturing techniques for the purpose  of  stimulating
    23  natural gas or oil well production.
    24    § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
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