Woodstock Town Board First in State to Adopt Resolution in Support of Criminalizing Hydraulic Fracturing by Sovereign People’s Action Network, January 17, 2013
Ulster County, NY – The Town Board of Woodstock, at its monthly meeting on January 15, reviewed and adopted a resolution in support of a New York State law to criminalize hydraulic fracturing and related activities. The Town will submit its resolution supporting NY Public Law #1 to the state legislature for implementation. Some 40 citizens in attendance resoundingly supported the decision.
This resolution…is in support of NY Public Law #1, which makes hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas and all related activities crimes under the state penal code. NY Public Law #1 was conceived and drafted by Sovereign People’s Action Network (SPAN), an Ulster and Greene county group, and FrackBustersNY, a statewide organization.
This is the third step that town of Woodstock leaders have taken in their attempt to prevent hydraulic fracturing from despoiling their historic town and, with this recent action, all of New York State. “The town has prohibited fracking through its land use ordinance,” pointed out Town Council Member Jay Wenk, “and also prohibited the use of frack-waste fluids for de-icing town roads.”
Linda Leeds of SPAN and FrackBustersNY helped to inform fellow Woodstock residents and the town board of the importance of this new resolution. “Activists in other towns with bans in place are asking their municipal officials to draft their own resolutions in support of statewide criminalization of hydrofracking,” she said. “We anticipate that this will be the first of many similar resolutions sent to our Albany legislators.”
SPAN and FrackBustersNY are available to work with other municipalities wishing to take this important step to protect themselves and their future.
The two groups applaud Woodstock Town Supervisor Jeremy Wilber and Council Members Cathy Magarelli, Bill McKenna and Jay Wenk for their foresight and leadership (Member Ken Panza was absent), and for acting in the best interests of all residents and the environment everyone depends on for survival.
Learn more about NY Public Law #1 and sign the statewide petition at SovereignPeople.net and FrackbustersNY.org. Contact: Linda Leeds, email hidden; JavaScript is required; (845) 679 – 4106 [Emphasis added]
We’re residents of Ulster and Greene counties who first came together in outrage at the likelihood of statewide water, land, and air contamination from hydrofracking.