Thank you Senator Thompson and members of the Senate Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation for holding this timely hearing on clean water. I am here today to sound the alarm on an urgent water issue that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has promised to act upon by the end of this month, which means that we may see an announcement this afternoon.

New York City’s fresh drinking water supply may be in grave danger of chemical contamination should the DEC allow the use of a natural gas drilling technique known as “horizontal hydraulic fracturing.” If utilized within the boundaries of the Catskill/Delaware watershed, horizontal hydraulic fracturing could introduce a toxic cocktail of chemical contaminants into New York City’s drinking water supply. The Catskill/Delaware watershed provides New York City with 90% of its drinking water – all of it unfiltered.

In July 2008, the Senate passed A. 10526/S. 8169 (Parment/Young) which set technical requirements pertaining to the amount of spacing between wells. This bill opened the door for the use of horizontal hydraulic fracturing statewide. However, when Governor Paterson signed A. 10526/S. 8169 he ordered the DEC to conduct a Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS) in order to address the environmental impacts of horizontal drilling before this technique could be used in New York.

Now, as we await the release of a draft SGEIS governing gas drilling in the Catskill/Delaware watershed, it is imperative that we work together so that all city and state residents understand this looming threat to New York City’s water supply. Unless hydraulic fracturing is banned in the Catskill/Delaware watershed, New Yorkers may find themselves on the brink of a looming environmental catastrophe.

Let me take a step back now and explain to you why environmentalists, energy experts, land owners and constituents are so concerned about hydraulic fracturing in the Catskill/Delaware watershed.

Hydraulic fracturing injects between one million and seven million gallons of water mixed with sand and a proprietary mixture of carcinogenic chemicals at very high pressure into vertical boreholes to create tiny cracks in shale formations as deep as 9,000 feet below the surface. Once the cracks are established, the mixture, known as “frac-fluid,” is brought up to the surface and natural gas flows to the surface well. The wastewater generated by this type of drilling is considered by the United States Department of Energy to be one of the most toxic industrial byproducts produced by gas and oil drilling.

In a report that I issued earlier this year, which I will be submitting for the record, my office documented the recent water contamination and human health impacts caused by hydraulic fracturing across the country. I am deeply concerned that the long history of leaks, spills, contaminations and explosions linked to hydraulic fracturing in nine different States will repeat itself here in New York.

An incident in Pennsylvania less than two weeks ago underscores my concern.

At a hydraulic fracturing site in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, a loose pipe connecting a chemical holding tank to a natural gas well spilled over 8,000 gallons of frac-fluid into a fresh water stream. This incident occurred in a town where just nine months ago, an explosion attributed to hydraulic fracturing caused a resident’s water well to explode. Shortly after the explosion, local citizens reported that they could literally light their tap water on fire.

But don’t just take it from me. At a meeting of the New York City Water Board on Friday September 25th, the preliminary results of a study on water quality issues related to hydraulic fracturing in the Catskill/Delaware watershed by environmental consultant Hazen and Sawyer were presented.

Hazen and Sawyer found that all activities required for natural gas drilling involve some risk to the water supply, with chemical and wastewater risks that are unique to the drilling industry.  Drilling site preparation will likely increase chemical run off to reservoirs and hydraulic fracturing operations in close proximity to the watershed, which could have negative operational impacts on water infrastructure.  The consultant further concludes that the level of impacts in the watershed would be related to the rate and magnitude of natural gas development – meaning that the more drilling that takes place in the watershed, the higher chance there is for a catastrophic contamination.

Our superior water supply has helped make New York City a world center for business and culture. However, the key reason for the quality of the city’s water supply – the fact that 90 percent of the supply is delivered to taps unfiltered – also makes this water extraordinarily susceptible to contamination. It’s clear to me that we must do everything possible to “Kill the Drill” in the Catskill/Delaware watershed, and I appeal to all members of the Senate Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation to join me in reaching this goal.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify on this important issue.