The announcement today by Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon that his company will not drill for natural gas in New York City’s upstate watershed is an important step toward protecting our drinking water, but it’s not enough.  Chesapeake’s leases in the watershed will expire after five years, and even before then there is no guarantee that Mr. McClendon will remain the head of the company.

Today I call on Mr. McClendon to translate his public statement to a legally binding commitment by selling his company’s leases in the watershed to New York City for one dollar.  That way, the good words we’ve heard today will not be undercut by an unforeseen corporate deal a year or two from now, once this controversy has passed.

Chesapeake’s announcement validates the calls for a ban on drilling in the watershed that have come from concerned citizens, editorial pages, environmental groups, and elected officials like myself.  The State environmental agency now finds itself in the uncomfortable position of lagging behind the industry it regulates in protecting New York City’s drinking water.  The Department of Environmental Conservation must correct its mistake by immediately announcing a permanent and complete ban on drilling in the watershed.