N.Y. officials accuse Cuomo admin of industry ‘collusion’

N.Y. officials accuse Cuomo admin of industry ‘collusion’ by Colin Sullivan, July 11, 2012, E&E News
A handful of state lawmakers went public yesterday with charges that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) administration conspired with industry to develop regulations that would permit hydraulic fracturing with a minimum of oversight. During a news conference here on the steps of City Hall, two state senators and two members of the Assembly agreed with the groups New Yorkers Against Fracking and Food and Water Watch that Cuomo officials were guilty of “collusion” during drafting of the rules. The elected officials also called on the governor to scrap draft regulations and restart a process begun in 2008 to review whether the drilling technique — also known as fracking — is safe. The four state lawmakers — Sens. Liz Krueger and Tony Avella, and Assemblymembers Alan Maisel and Micah Kellner — were joined by three members of the New York City Council: Melissa Mark-Viverito, Gale Brewer and Letitia James. … Avella said he would hold a public forum July 18 to give voters the chance to express their outrage about the information he said was leaked by the DEC to industry. He also had stern words for Cuomo personally, saying the governor’s presidential ambitions would be hurt if the state’s drilling regulations are too soft on industry. Should an incident occur in which someone gets sick because of fracking fluids in water supplies, “your dream of running for president is over,”

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