State will do own health study of fracking

ALBANY -- The state health commissioner and "qualified outside experts" will review the health impacts of shale gas drilling before a moratorium on the fracking extraction process is lifted, Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens said yesterday.

Martens said he has rejected calls from health and environmental groups for a health impact analysis to be done by a university school of public health or other independent group. Such a review is the job of government, he said, so he's asked Health Commissioner Nirav Shah to assess DEC's own health impact analysis.

"I have also asked Dr. Shah to identify the most qualified outside experts to advise him in his review," Martens said in a statement. "While the review will be informed by outside perspectives on the science of hydrofracking, the decision-making will remain a governmental responsibility."

Martens didn't say whether Shah has begun the review, or how long it would take.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has said he will decide whether to allow high-volume hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, only after the DEC review that began in 2008 is completed. Martens said that review won't be complete until Shah's review is done.

Martens said his agency has been reviewing about 80,000 comments submitted on its environmental impact review and proposed regulations. Many comments focused on potential health impacts of fracking, which frees gas from shale by injecting a well with high volumes of water mixed with chemicals and sand. Martens said he recently met with several environmental groups that said they weren't satisfied with DEC's effort to address public health impacts.

"I believe it is highly likely that some of these groups will pursue litigation following the conclusion of the departmental process if they do not agree with the outcome," Martens said.

Kate Sinding of the Natural Resources Defense Council was among those who met with Martens this month. She said they were told that DEC had done a health impact review since the comment period ended on its environmental review and regulations.

"We have not seen that, but I understand this to mean this is something that will be vetted by the department of health and independent experts," Sinding said. "It's certainly not exactly what we called for, but there is the potential for this to be a very valuable exercise."

Dan Fitzsimmons, head of a coalition of landowner groups seeking leases with gas drilling companies, said Martens' rejection of an independent health review by an outside group was "very good news," as it would be "an unbiased study."