TO:

HONORABLE SENATOR TONY AVELLA and other HONORABLE SENATORS (Mrs.) Dawn G. Jordan, Concerned NYS resident, taxpayer, and mother 54 Gulf Hill Rd. Voorheesville, NY 12186 (Town of Berne) 518-872-1390 NYS Senate Forum on Hydraulic Fracturing in New York State April 25, 2012

FROM:

RE: DATE:

Thank you for the opportunity to share my concerns with you today. My name is Dawn Jordan. I live in the Town of Berne, one of the four Hilltowns that make up a fraction of the population, but almost half of the land area of Albany County. The Hilltowns are rural, with relatively little surface water as compared to the rest of the county. All of our households depend on water wells, most of them pounded into the bedrock and many are several hundreds of feet deep, some more than 700 feet deep. Well water does not come easily or cheaply in the Hilltowns; we appreciate what we have and, except for last fall during Irene, often worry about the supply. No one takes potable water for granted. We are very concerned about anything that poses a threat to that supply. The World Health Organization states that one of its primary goals is that all people, whatever their stage of development and their social and economic conditions, have the right to have access to an adequate supply of safe drinking water. (WHO, 1996) I think that statement, no matter how you feel about whats being talked about here today, is something we all can agree on that all people have the right to an adequate supply of safe drinking water. So the question of the day is can New York States supply of drinking water be guaranteed GUARANTEED to remain safe if horizontal hydraulic fracturing is allowed here? Given the testimony that you have already heard, and that which will follow, its pretty clear the answer is No. Youve been given evidence that fracking contaminants have leaked from gas wells, how contaminants can take years to reach drinking water, or travel along faults and fractures like cars on a superhighway straight into our aquifers. Its been demonstrated exactly how and why the integrity of gas wells fail, and what the rate if failure is likely to be.

The gas industry does not have a good safety rating in New York State as it is (Bishop, 2011), and the thought of fracking in our relatively shallow target shales that are so close to our aquifers should be frightening to everyone in this room. When contamination occurs, and it will occur, what will the consequences be? The industry has been allowed to keep some of those chemicals secret. But many of the ones we do know about are toxic and carcinogenic. Benzene, for example, is a proven carcinogen, with a 100% absorption rate from the gastrointestinal tract. Once absorbed, it is widely distributed throughout the body, and its metabolites are found in high concentrations in fatty tissues. Repeated exposure to even low levels of benzene result in toxic effects to blood and blood-forming tissues. (WHO, 1996) Over thirty percent of fracking chemicals have been identified as estrogen disruptors. At extremely low concentrations, these substances can cause breast, prostate, pituitary, testicular and ovarian cancer. (Birnbaum, L.S., & Fenton, S.E., 2003) Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) are also a concern. Produced water from Marcellus Shale gas wells have high levels of radon. Radon in well water releases into indoor air, and adds to the radon already present in some homes. Radon is a proven cause of lung cancer. (WHO, 2011) The list goes on and on. I ask you we ask you - is this the legacy you want to leave for your children and grandchildren? I am aware that the gas industry tells us that we shouldnt be concerned. I was in my fifth year of Pharmacy College when the debate over the danger of exposure to second hand cigarette smoke was on everyones minds. I still remember the full page newspaper ads put out by the tobacco industry saying the scientific studies were inconclusive, there was no evidence of anyone ever being harmed by second hand smoke, its not problem, its too dilute to hurt you (EPA), Trust us. Years later the truth and the conspiracy of scientific cover-ups were revealed. When I started digging into the science regarding hydraulic fracturing, I was struck by the similarities in what the gas industry is telling us. There is no evidence of water wells ever being contaminated by fracking, theres no scientific study proving anyone has ever been harmed by fracking chemicals leaching into their well, its not a problem, the chemicals are too dilute to hurt you. (Fisher, July 2010) Trust us.

The institution of smoking-free buildings and designated outdoor smoking areas has gone a long way in protecting non-smokers from second-hand smoke. Still many people died because no law prevented it in the first place. Unfortunatley, cleaning up a contaminated aquifer will be virtually impossible. Never before have our aquifers been at such a risk from such potential widespread chemical contamination. And a chemically contaminated aquifer affects not just a few people, but everyone. There is no remediation (Palmer A. N., 3-13-2012). Not allowing it to happen in the first place is the only responsible choice. Irishman Walter Burke, famous for his support of the colonies during the American Revolutionary War, once said, Those who do not know history are destined to repeat it. You have the opportunity to stop this now. You have the opportunity to protect the safety of our aquifers, and the future of the generations that will go after us from the contamination of a greedy and dishonest industry. Dont let history repeat itself. The masses are speaking. Please listen.

Works Cited
Birnbaum, L.S., & Fenton, S.E. (2003). Cancer and developmental exposure to endocrine disruptors. Environmental Health Perspectives, 111(4). Bishop, R. E. (2011). Chemical and Biological Risk Assessment for Natural Gas Extraction in New York. Chemistry and Biochemistry Dept. SUNY Oneonta. EPA. (n.d.). Setting the Record Straight: Second Hand Smoke is a Preventable Health Risk. Retrieved April 22, 2012, from EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/smokefree/pubs/strsfs.html#media_campaign EPA. (n.d.). Water: Basic informationabout Regulated Drinking Water Contaminants. Retrieved April 6, 2012, from Basic Information about Benzene in Drinking Water: water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/benzene.cfm Fisher, K. (July 2010). Data Confirm the Safety of Well Fracturing. American Oil & Gas Reporter. Meyers, T. (n.d.). Potential Contaminant Pathways from Hydaulically Fractued Shale to Aquifers. Retrieved April 24, 2012, from National Ground Water Association: http://www.scribd.com/doc/90528680/FrackingAquifers Palmer, A. N. (3-13-2012). Potential Contaminant Paths from Hydraulic Fracturing of Shale Gas Reservoirs. Palmer, A. N. (1-23-2012). Some Concerns about High-Pressure Hydrofracturing of Shale Gas Reservoirs. Rubin, P. A. (2011). Report for the Delaware River Basin Commission on Natural Gas Development Regulations. HydroQuest. WHO. (1996). Guidelines for drinking-water quality - 2nd ed., Vol.2. Geneva: World Health Organization. WHO. (2011). Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality - 4th Edition. World Health Organization.