CATSKILL MOUNTAINKEEPER

IN THE NEWS

Find all the news stories about Catskill Mountainkeeper in chronological order with the most recent articles appearing first.

For articles before June 2008 visit our
IN THE NEWS ARCHIVE

For press contacts and information call:
(845)482-5400
or email:
info@catskillmountainkeeper.org

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Is Fracking Poisoning Our Food?

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Lessons from Dimock, PA: Calling for a Moratorium on Natural Gas ...

OnEarth Magazine - Mark Ruffalo - August 3, 2010

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Hundreds Urge Gas Drilling Moratorium at Contentious DRBC Meeting

Philadelphia Center City Weekly Press - Iris Marie Bloom - 5 days ago

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Goings on About Town: Readings and Talks

New Yorker - Jul 4, 2010

Chances dim for NY moratorium on fracking

Times Herald-Record - Steve Israel - Jul 2, 2010

Walking for a moratorium

River Reporter - Fritz Mayer - Jul 1, 2010

Bill proposes fracking moratorium

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Gas companies ramp up lobbying in NY, report says

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Award-Winning Documentary 'Gasland' Screens In Manhattan

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Gas at a Glance

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Lessons from neighbours

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Binghamton Hosts Pre-HBO Premier of Gasland and Live Appearance by Sundance ...

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A Special Return Trip to Dimock

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RFK Jr.: Gas industry 'utterly untrustworthy'

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Robert Kennedy Jr., environmentalists hear of gas woes in Dimock

Scranton Times-Tribune - laura legere -June 4, 2010

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America's Most Endangered River: the Upper Delaware

River Reporter - Sandy Long - June 3, 2010

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New films explore ACA shootings, gas drilling issues

Elmira Star-Gazette - June 3, 2010

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Groups join to protect Delaware River from drilling

Waynesboro Record Herald - Dale Ann Deffer - June 3, 2010
That's why Ramsay Adams, co-founder and executive director of the Catskill Mountainkeeper, spoke out passionately to protect the Delaware. ...

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Opponents Of Upstate 'Fracking' Point To PA

NY1 - Tara Lynn Wagner - June 2, 2010

NY1

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City's Watershed At Center Of Drilling Debate

NY1 - Tara Lynn Wagner - June 1, 21010

NY1

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Hydrofracking in Delaware County a concern downstate

It's a controversial issue that's been getting a lot of attention lately. With natural gas companies eager to tap into the deposits in the Marcellus shale, there's the promise of new jobs and an economic boost for landowners. But there are still concerns about the process used to extract the gas called hydrofracking. In the first of our two part series Tara Lynn Wagner has more on an issue that ... YNN Syracuse - May 29 12:25pm

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Catskill groups seek moratorium on gas drilling

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Natural-Gas Riches Entice New Yorkers to Risk Poisoning Water

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Spill, Baby, Spill

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DEC watershed decision a ploy?

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NYC watershed gets separate rules for drilling

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April 21, 2010, Mid Hudson News: Sullivan Renaissance Funds Veggie Gardens “Recipients of the first round of funding include: Catskill Mountainkeeper; Delaware Highlands Conservancy; NACL Theater; Sullivan County Division of Planning and Environmental Management; Sullivan County Community College; and Sullivan County Federation for the Homeless. Click here for complete article

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April 19, 2010, Times Herald Record: Group Wants Gas Drilling to Save NY Parks “In response, Ramsay Adams, executive director of Catskill Mountainkeeper, pointed to the news about Pennsylvania and dismissed the proposal as "outrageous." Click here for complete article

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April 18, 2010, YNN Cable News: Environmental Advocates Want Study Done Before Drilling Process Begins “They need to wait until the EPA study to come out,” said Ramsay Adams, Catskill mountain keeper. Ramsay Adams of Catskill mountain keeper doesn't think the drilling will start this year. Adams says at the same time the DEC is developing its rules, the federal Environmental Protection Agency is also studying natural gas drilling. Adams says by waiting New York can use information from the EPA study to develop its regulations. “It's the only common sense thing to do,” said Adams. Adams says natural gas drilling will bring major environmental damage to the region for the short term gain of a few, but van Swol says he is confident the rules the DEC comes up with will prevent that from happening. Click here for complete article

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April 7, 2010, The Times Herald Record: Environmental Group Wants Drilling Postponed "Why wouldn't (the Department of Environmental Conservation) wait? It's only common sense," says Ramsay Adams, executive director of Mountainkeeper, which like other local and national environmental groups — and New York City — says the horizontal drilling method of hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," pollutes drinking water.” Click here for complete article

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March 25, 2010, Yale's Environment 360: A Controversial Drilling Practice Hits Roadblock in New York City "Wes Gillingham, program director of Catskill Mountainkeeper, said of the report, “One of the reasons industry could get away with these incidents is that there was a lack of science. New York City used reputable geologists and came up with the science.”” Click here for complete article

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March 12, 2010, Hudson Valley Business Journal: Opposition to Gas Drilling Growing
Opposition to drilling for natural gas in the Catskill Watershed is gaining momentum as a unified voice in lower New York, but few leaders in other areas that will be directly impacted have weighed in on the situation. “The southern tier towns (along the Marcellus Shale) are just going to get the traffic impacts and virtually no benefit,” says Ramsey Adams, executive director of Catskill Mountainkeeper. ” Click here for complete article

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March 10, 2010, Huffington Post: Fracking in New York'sMarcellus Shale, an Open Forum "The panelists included James Gennaro, chairman of the New York City Council Environmental Protection Committee, Kate Sinding, senior attorney for Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Scott Rotruck, vice president of corporate development for Chesapeake Energy, Stuart Gruskin, executive deputy commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and Wes Gillingham, program director, Catskill Mountain Keeper. There was also a closing keynote by U.S. Congressman Maurice Hinchey, D-New York 22nd District.” Click here for complete article

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March 9, 2010, Mid-Hudson News: Marcellus Shale Gas Mining Discussed at Forum "During public comment, questions were raised as to what sort of impact permitting gas drilling in state park areas would have on the preservation of those parks and the tourism they generate. According to Catskill Mountainkeeper’s Program Director Wes Gillingham, allowing this type of drilling on park land would, in the long term, affect visitors to the area. “People don’t want to come and hunt and fish next to 24/7 drilling activity.” Click here for complete article

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March 9, 2010, Times Herald Record: Drilling Proponents, Foes, Square Off in New Paltz "Sinding — like Wes Gillingham of Catskill Mountainkeeper — called for the DEC to start the regulations process over again because there's no analysis of the "cumulative impact" of drilling.  All of which makes the DEC's job of balancing environmental protection with the development of natural resources even tougher."  Click here for complete article

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March 8, 2010, NRDC Switchboard: Kate Sinding Blog, Flurry of Events in New York Demonstrate Enormous Public Concern Over Marcellus Shale Drilling "Tonight, I am sitting on a panel with Chair of the NYC Council Environmental Protection Committee, Jim Gennaro, DEC Executive Deputy Commissioner, Stuart Gruskin, Chesapeake Energy VP of Government Relations, David Spigelmyer, and Catskill Mountainkeeper Program Director, Wes Gillingham.  The panel discussion, being held at SUNY New Paltz, will be in a roundtable format to be followed by a public forum and a keynote address by US Congressman Maurice Hinchey (sponsor of the FRAC Act that would restore federal regulation over the controversial hydraulic fracturing technology).  The event is scheduled to run from 5:45 to 8 pm in Lecture Center Room 100."  Click here for complete article

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February 25, 2010, The Phoenicia Times: Belleayre Resort Moving Forward?  "The issues involved, from new precedents for mountaintop development to construction traffic and municipal tax compensation, they're all issues of local community impact, and those are our primary concern" said Aaron Bennett, new Regional Director for Catskill Mountainkeeper.
"Thus far, Crossroads refusal to consider parameters of scale more appropriate to our local communities remains a real issue for us. But we'll just have to wait and see what the company's really proposing when the SDEIS is finally submitted."  Click here for complete article

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February 26, 2010, Times Herald Record: Sullivan County, Nonprofits Push for Demo Farm  "Besides the Open Space Institute, nonprofits that have express interest include Sullivan County Cornell Cooperative Extension, Catskill Mountainkeeper and the Delaware Highland Conservancy, among others." Click here for complete article

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January 28, 2010, The Huffington Post: Dont Frack With New York! Paterson Poisons the Well to Balance the Budget  "We can't let the gleam of potential profits leave us with a legacy of polluted water and industrialized landscapes," said Wes Gillingham, program director of Catskill Mountainkeeper. Click here for the complete article

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January 28, 2010, The River Reporter: Organic Deliberations "Several people from the Upper Delaware Valley area went to the event, including Sonja Hedlund from Apple Pond Farm in Callicoon Center, Maria Grimaldi of Panther Rock Farn in Youngsville, Trina Pilonero of Silver Heights Farm in Cochecton Center, Mark Dunau of Mountain Dell Farm in Hancock, Greg Swartz of Willow Wisp Organic Farm in Abrahamsville, PA, Wes Gillingham of Catskill Mountainkeeper and Challey Comer of the Watershed Agricultural Council." Click here for the complete article

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January 26, 2010, The Daily Star: Area Gas Drilling Supporters and Opponents Rally In Albany "There, they heard from members of the Catskill Mountainkeeper and Environmental Advocates, as well as public officials talking about the dangers posed by unbridled gas drilling, including the threat to drinking water supplies, she said. Adrian Kuzminski of Sustainable Otsego was among the speakers, she said." Click here for the complete article

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January 26, 2010, Times Herald Record: Both Sides in Gas Drilling Dispute "Both camps agree that drilling the gas-rich Marcellus shale, which sits beneath Sullivan County and the Southern Tier, would be the biggest thing the state has seen. "It's going to forever change the way New York does business," said Ramsay Adams, executive director of the Catskill Mountainkeeper environmental group. "It'll make it an energy state, like Texas, Colorado and West Virginia, and those aren't pretty places." Click here for the complete article

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January 25, 2010, News10 Now, Binghamton: Protesters Call or Ban on Natual Gas Drilling "We are saying the process is flawed and they have to start over, we are not going to let them roll over us," said Ramsay Adams, Catskill Mountainkeeper Executive Director." Click here for the complete article

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January 25, 2010, Reuters:  Bloomberg Opposes Gas Drilling in the Watershed "At a competing rally organized by environmental groups, about 600 people -- many of whom arrived by bus from New York City -- said the industry was putting profits ahead of safety and waved signs reading "You Can't Drink Money" and "Water: Our Best Resource." "We can't let the gleam of potential profits leave us with a legacy of polluted water and industrialized landscapes," said Wes Gillingham, program director of Catskill Mountainkeeper. Click here for the complete article

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January 24, 2010, Times Herald Record:  2 Sides Offer Opposite Views About Fracking "The process just isn't safe, says Ramsay Adams, executive director of Youngsville-based Catskill Mountainkeeper, one of the state's leading drilling opponents. There are many assumptions (on the DEC's part) that the chemicals used in the drilling process won't seep into the environment, and that's wrong. Just look at all the documented accidents in states ranging from Pennsylvania to Colorado. Drinking water from New York City to Liberty should be protected. Click here for the complete article

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January 20, 2010, Buzzflash:  Fight Against Fracking Heats Up in New York and the Marcellus Shale "People are just honestly questioning if this can be done safely at all," said Wes Gillingham, program director at Catskill MountainKeeper, a nonprofit, grassroots, environmental organization aimed at protecting the Catskills. The Catskills, as well as the Delaware River Valley, sit on top of the Marcellus Shale Formation." Click here for the complete article

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January 11, 2010, Times Herald Record:  State Ban on Gas Drilling Unlikely The proposed regulations don't do that, says a prominent drilling opponent, who called the rules "fatally flawed." "Their job is to protect the environment, and the fact that they're not is a travesty. The EPA knows it, the city knows and the DEC union knows it," said Ramsay Adams, executive director of Catskill Mountainkeeper." Click here for the complete article

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January 8-14, 2010, Downtown Express:  Pols, Activists Usher in New Year With Chilled Water “Representatives of other environmental groups at the rally included Annie Wilson, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter Energy Committee; Deborah Goldberg, Earthjustice; Kate Sinding, National Resource Defense Council lawyer; Wes Gillingham, Catskill Mountainkeeper; and Joel Kupferman, New York Environmental Law & Justice Project attorney." Click here for the complete article

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January 7, 2010, The River Reporter:  DEC Flooded With Comments Growing Chorus Says Hold Off On Fracking “NRDC, along with Earthjustice, Delaware Riverkeeper and Catskill Mountainkeeper, filed a 20-page highly technical comment on the draft SGEIS, enumerating a lengthy list of shortcomings, such as that it does not include an analysis of the cumulative impacts of multiple wells on resources such as water and air. " Click here for the complete article

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January 5, 2010, Sullivan County Democrat:  Reaction to NYC's Stance on Gas Drilling “Ramsay Adams and Wes Gillingham are the executive director and program director, respectively, of Catskill Mountainkeeper, a Youngsville-based environmental advocacy group. “As previously reported in this paper, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection has categorically stated that drilling in the New York City drinking water supply area must not be allowed,” said Adams." Click here for the complete article

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December 21, 2009, Agence France-Presse:  Gas 'Gold Rush' Ignites Rural New York "Ramsay Adams, executive director at Catskill Mountainkeeper environmental group, says the biggest worry is what happens next, when the poisonous mix is locked underground in the same hills as New York's drinking water aquifers."Thirty percent of these millions of millions of gallons of water are left down there," Adams said. "Ultimately it will migrate up and go downstream. You could find the contamination downstream. No one knows. The gas companies don't know." Click here for the complete article

French Version: Hors de question, pour Ramsay Adams, un des responsables des Catskill Mountainkeeper, une association écologiste locale.  Il s'inquiète de ce que le mélange toxique pollue les nappes phréatiques. "Personne ne sait" ce qui peut se passer, insiste M. Adams. "Les compagnies de gaz elles-mêmes n'en savent rien", lance-t-il.  De sa maison, nichée dans un vallon, Alice Diehl acquiesce. Si l'eau venait à être contaminée, "il n'y aurait aucun moyen de défaire le mal", dit-elle. Click here for the complete article

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December 18, 2009, Times Herald Record:  New State Plan Touts Natural Gas “But opponents said the plan was premature, coming before new drilling regulations have been approved. "It's counting your chickens before they've hatched," said Wes Gillingham, program director of Catskill Mountainkeeper in Youngsville. "You don't promote an energy plan until you figure out what to do about all the problems." Click here for the complete article

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December 7, 2009, Herald DeParis:  Environmentalists: Revise Gas Drilling Review?  No Repeal It! “Catskill Mountainkeeper, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and a coalition of 26 environmental organizations have teamed up and asked Gov. David Paterson to repeal the Department of Environmental Conservation’s draft environmental review.” Click here for the complete article

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December 7, 2009, Mid-Hudson News:  Environmental Groups Ask Governor to Throw Out Marcellus Shale DSGEIS “The study, which would apply to the mining of Marcellus Shale, needs to be redrafted, said Ramsay Adams, executive director of Catskill Mountainkeeper.  “We’ve had our experts look at the document and it is fundamentally fatally flawed; most obviously no cumulous impacts,” he said. “We are saying loud and clear, a unified message from all across the environmental community in the great State of New York, ‘stop, do this right, this is not an adequate draft, so go back to the drawing board’.” Click here for the complete article

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December 5, 2009, The Qatar Peninsula On-Line:  Technology Opens Vast Stores of Natural Gas “This is probably the biggest thing to happen to the state of New York since the initial clearing by settlers,” said Wes Gillingham, executive director of the Catskill Mountainkeeper. ”  Click here for the complete article

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December 4, 2009, DC Bureau:  The Marcellus Shale- New York is the Natural Gas Industry's New Lab Rat “There’s this huge ecological gem that is about to get industrialized,” said Wes Gillingham, Catskill Mountainkeeper program director. “This is probably one of the biggest landscape changes that the East has seen in a really long time.”  Click here for the complete article

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November 27, 2009, The New York Times: At Odds Over Land, Gas and Money “They could be drilling directly under your well and threatening your groundwater,” said Wes Gillingham, the program director for the environmental group Catskill Mountainkeeper. He owns 100 acres in Sullivan County and said he was trying to keep it off-limits to drilling. Click here for the complete article

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November 18, 2009, WENY-TV: Hydrofracking Friction at DEC's Public Comment Session "Not only did residents come out to protest or support hydrofracturing in New York State, but they're also talking about the DEC's report. "This document is inaccurate," said Wes Gillingham of Livingston Manor.  "There are so many flaws."" Click here for the complete article

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November 15, 2009, The Indypendent: New Yorkers Rally at Lone City Hearing on Hydro-Fracking Ramsey Adams, executive director of Catskill Mountain Keeper, an environmental advocacy group, attended the rally and was critical of the D.E.C. He told The Indypendent, "The draft supplemental is woefully inadequate and they need to go back to the drawing-board." Click here for the complete article

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November 13, 2009, Opposing Views: Angry Crowd Protests Water-Threatening, Gas Drilling in New York "Representatives of Riverkeeper, Catskill Mountainkeeper, Earthjustice, the Sierra Club, NYPIRG, Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, NYH2O, Citizen's Campaign for the Environment, Theodore Gordon Flyfishers and other environmental groups also testified and presented a host of reasons for concern/alarm with the draft environmental impact statement prepared by the State DEC." Click here for the complete article

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November 12, 2009, FOX 40 News WICZ TV: To Drill or Not to Drill? DEC Holds Gas Drilling Hearings at CV "We need to have everything in place before you let any of this happen," said Wes Gillingham, Program Director for Catskill Mountain Keeper" Click here for the complete article

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November 10, 2009, Times Herald Record: NYC Rally Aims to Stop Drilling in Watershed- Local Groups Seek Same "If it's not good enough for New York City, it's not good enough for the rest of the state. It would set a precedent and say drilling isn't safe," says Ramsay Adams, executive director of Catskill Mountainkeeper in the western Sullivan hamlet of Youngsville."  Click here for the complete article

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November 2, 2009, Counterpunch: Trading the Watershed to Trash the Catskills "To the north and east of Sullivan County, the Catskill Park, established in the late 19th century, contains large parcels of undisturbed forest.  "It is an incredibly pristine landscape," Wes Gillingham, Program Director of Catskill Mountainkeeper told me recently."  Click here for the complete article

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October 28, 2009, The Rochester City Newspaper: Shale Drilling Concerns Evolve "Wes Gillingham.. of the Catskill Mountainkeeper environmental group, says that drilling could have a profound impact on water quality, even across state lines."  Click here for the complete article

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October 21, 2009, The Rochester City Newspaper: Shale- What About the Water? "Gillingham made a compelling point about one of the most crucial issues - water. The energy companies have their sights set on an area in the heart of the Catskills, centered on Peas Eddy and Hancock, in Delaware County. It's one of the thickest parts of several shale formations, which means it has high potential as a natural gas resource."  Click here for the complete article

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October 14, 2009, The Rochester City Newspaper: Learning the Natural Gas Drill "To help inform area residents on the issues surrounding gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale, local environmental groups, as well as the League of Women Voters, are hosting a forum at 7 p.m. on Monday, October 19, at Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Avenue. The event will feature a panel of experts, including a primer by Wes Gillingham, the director of Catskill Mountain Keeper."  Click here for the complete article

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October 12, 2009, The Times Herald Record: Drilling Regs Hearing Will Reveal issues "The whole cumulative impact is a glaring problem," says Wes Gillingham, program director of Sullivan County's Catskill Mountainkeeper. "Each company knows how much land they've leased. One well leads to another and another. And how will the state control the impact of all that waste?"  Click here for the complete article

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October 9, 2009, The Sullivan County Democrat: DEC gas rules get scrutinized “While we are appreciative of the few new controls and protections the DEC report offers, overall it is dramatically inadequate in offering reasonable solutions that the public deserves,” stated Ramsay Adams, executive director of Catskill Mountainkeeper.  Click here for the complete article

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October 8, 2009, The River Reporter: Mixed reviews for DEC regs The release said the SGEIS “puts no limitation on the total number of gas wells that could be developed within a specific area. This means that there will be no control of the cumulative impact on air, land, water, wildlife or people.” Click here for the complete article

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October 5, 2009, MPNnow.com: Gas Drilling Coming to the Finger Lakes? Public forum. Experts inform and answer questions. Pre-register: info@fmce.org, (www.fmce.org), or call (585) 392-4918. On hand will be Wes Gillingham, program director for Catskill Mountain Keeper (catskillmountainkeeper.org) Click here for the complete article

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October 2, 2009, Mid-Hudson News Network: Cahill supports Marcellus Shale gas drilling as short term energy source Catskill Mountainkeeper, meanwhile, said while the DEC offers a few new controls and protections, “It is dramatically inadequate in offering reasonable solutions that the public deserves.” Click here for the complete article

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October 1, 2009, Times Herald Record: DEC drafts regulations for gas drilling "The devil is in the details," said Wes Gillingham, program director of Catskill Mountainkeeper, the Sullivan-based environmental group. Click here for the complete article

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September 24, 2009, The River Reporter: Calling on Congress - 160 groups support the FRAC Act nationwide Local groups pushing for increased regulation of gas drilling in the Upper Delaware Valley have gained high profiles in recent months; groups such as Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, Catskill Mountainkeeper and Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy have often found their way into the news. Click here for the complete article

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September 21, 2009, CityLimits.org: City wants answers, input on upstate drill plan Catskill Mountainkeeper, working in concert with over 20 other environmental organizations, is urging the DEC to extend the period for public comment beyond the regular 30-day window. Click here for the complete article

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September 19, 2009, Times Herald Record: Senators' Views Could Hurt Casino Chances "This is a very important letter for us in trying to stop these things," said Ramsay Adams, executive director of Catskill Mountainkeeper, among several environmental groups opposing casinos." Click here for the complete article

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September 17, 2009, The River Reporter: Gas news at a glance Catskill Mountainkeeper program director Wes Gillingham will host a viewing of a film about a drilling boom in the Rocky Mountains which had wide-reaching nergative impacts on the lives of the residents.  Click here for the complete article

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September 17, 2009, The River Reporter: An exemption by another name  “They’re stretching the truth and trying really hard to prevent the FRAC Act from becoming law.” said Wes Gillingham, program director of Catskill Mountainkeeper Click here for the complete article

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September 1, 2009, Times Herald Record: Gas Industry Prepares to Drill In Sullivan "Catskill Mountainkeeper's Wes Gillingham is particularly concerned about tapping state lands for natural gas. And because gas corporations plan to lease many sites — "where it strategically enhances our existing leasehold," Chesapeake said — environmental groups want standards to include "cumulative" impacts, not individual ones. "If Chesapeake is looking at 15 (sites) on the Delaware, how can you just do a statement for one?" asked Gillingham. "That's the scariest aspect, the industrialization of the landscape." Click here for the complete article

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August 29, 2009, Albany Times Union: Casinos Too Risky In The Catskills - Op-Ed by Mark Izeman and Ramsay Adams "The nation's top Indian Affairs official, Larry Echo Hawk, visited one of New York's most scenic and ecologically distinctive regions -- the Catskill Mountains -- on Wednesday. He is being asked to consider two widely contrasting visions for securing economic vitality today and into the future."  Click here for the complete article 

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July 10, 2009, The Times Herald Record: Sullivan County Planning Model Farm:  Group Wants to Educate Public, Raise Income - "With the average age of a farmer now around 55, Wes Gillingham of the Catskill Mountainkeeper organization says bringing new blood into agriculture is important. Legislator Jodi Goodman, chairwoman of the Planning and Environmental Management Committee, said the project was taking Sullivan back to its roots, when you had to wait for cows to pass in order to cross the street. "What's new is really what's old," she said."  Click here for the complete article

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July 7, 2009, The Times Herald Record: Gas Drilling Co. Begins Application:  Flags Raised Over Water Withdrawal - "The prominent environmental group Catskill Mountainkeeper is dead set against the withdrawal."We don't want to see any at this point because there are too many unanswered questions," says its executive director, Ramsay Adams. Those questions — about pollution and environmental destruction — are why the Department of Environmental Conservation has postponed issuing new regulations for gas drilling."  Click here for the complete article

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July 2, 2009, The Times Herald Record: Sullivan County Saves Beaverkill Campground - "News of the closing had created a hubbub. The Catskill Mountainkeeper, a nonprofit environmental group, began circulating a petition on the Internet to keep the camp open. And there was a joint meeting of the chambers of commerce for Roscoe and Livingston Manor to address the economic losses small business would suffer without the campers. That got the county's attention.”  Click here for the complete article

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June 24, 2009, The Ithaca Journal: Activist: Drilling in New York Needs Scrutiny - "Wes Gillingham, of event organizers Catskill Mountainkeeper, also showed aerial photos of a rural Pennsylvania drilling site that confirmed many of their fears - drilling sites and gravel pits popping up in a seemingly random pattern alongside houses, farms and churches; pipelines and access roads zigzagging across the landscape; holding ponds overflowing its potentially chemically contaminated waste water; and dozens of large freight trucks lined up in fields.”  Click here for the complete article

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June 4, 2009, The River Repoter: DSGEIS: Officials, organizations call for time and access  – "In a similar move, Catskill Mountainkeeper and 18 other organizations have signed a letter to Governor David Paterson asking that he “direct the DEC” to schedule at least seven regional public hearings, including one in New York City, with a public comment period of no less than 60 days.”  Click here for the complete article

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April 15, 2009, The Earth Island Journal: Will There Be Blood? The Battle Over New York's Marcellus Shale  – "One thing that’s happened,” says Wes Gillingham, Program Director of Catskill Mountain Keeper, “is that this whole issue has awakened people to the complexity of hydro fracking and the whole issue of regulatory oversight and whether it’s adequate or not. And to the basic question of whether it can be done safely at all.”  Click here for the complete article

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April 10, 2009, The Oneonta Daily Star:  Drilling Opponents Form Area Coalition  – "David Cyr, of Delhi, said Thursday that CDOG was organized just a few days after its founding members attended a Catskill Mountainkeeper-sponsored educational forum on gas drilling, held June 26 in Walton."  Click here for the complete article  

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April 2-8, 2009, The River Reporter: Krieger Signs Gas Lease  – "Livingston Manor and nearby Roscoe are important trout fishing centers, with two rivers running through the area. Ramsey Adams, the executive director of Catskill Mountainkeeper, said that the quality of the water in the area is critical to the region, and that gas drilling is an issue that needs careful examination."  Click here for the complete article

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March 27, 2009, The Ithaca Journal: Natural Gas Forum Draws 200 People  – "Wes Gillingham, program director for the Catskill Mountainkeeper, argued that neither Cayuga Heights nor the DEC can assure the public the material is safe because without knowing what to test for initially, they can't know what they're putting into Cayuga Lake."  Click here for the complete article

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March 12-16, 2009, The River Reporter: Groups Unite for Beaverkill Campground  – A meeting hosted by Catskill Mountainkeeper in Livingston Manor on March 7 drew members of various organizations who pledged to lobby officials in Albany to open the facility, which contributes to the economic health of area. Ramsey Adams of Mountainkeeper said that the closure would save the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which operates the campground, perhaps $10,000 to $15,000, but the loss to the region would be far greater.  Click here for the complete article

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March 10, 2009, Mid-Hudson News: Sullivan County makes offer to state to run Beaverkill  – Supporters of the campground, including Catskill Mountainkeeper and local chamber of commerce in Roscoe and Livingston Manor, have said the region benefits from the tourism dollars brought in by people who stay at the campground.  Click here for the complete article

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March 5, 2009, Mid-Hudson News: Community groups unite to save the Beaverkill Campground, ROSCOE – The Catskill Mountainkeeper organization, the Roscoe Chamber of Commerce and the Friends of the Beaverkill are teaming up to lobby for the state to keep the Beaverkill Campground open this summer.  Click here for the complete article

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January 13, 2009, The Times Herald-Record:  Green organizations team up in Sullivan  The groups held their first meeting Thursday in Monticello. Others attending included the Sullivan Alliance for Sustainable Development, Catskill Mountainkeeper, The Delaware Highlands Conservancy and The Basha Kill Area Association. Representatives from the Gerry Foundation and Sullivan County Planning Department also attended.  Click here for the complete article

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December 3, 2008, The River Reporter: Tips on Giving Gas Drilling Testimony "Wes Gillingham, the program director for Catskill Mountainkeeper, said gas drilling could lead to a “massive industrialization of the region,” and added that many pieces are missing from the existing DSGEIS, such as a study of the impact of additional traffic on roads.  Ramsay Adams, the executive director of Catskill Mountainkeeper, said that he hoped the testimony from residents would address some of the social issues that have come with gas drilling in other states, such as the boom-and-bust economic cycle that can occur."  Click here for the complete article

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November 21, 2008, The Wayne Independent:  Environmental Groups Urge Citizen Participation  “The DEC will need to respond to all issues raised as part of the scoping process in some way. Individual and organized testimony will raise the issues that will help to ensure further protections for our region,” said Ramsay Adams, executive director of Catskill Mountainkeeper.  click here for the complete article

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October 16, 2008, Albany Times Union:  DEC to Shield Water in Gas Boom by Brian Nearing   "I have serious doubts about the health of any stream or river that will be taking this fluid over time and slowly releasing it into the environment," said Wes GIllingham, Program Director of the Catskill Mountainkeeper.  click here for the complete article

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September 21, 2008, New York Magazine: Got Gas? By David French "The environmental groups Riverkeeper and Catskill Mountainkeeper have demanded an all-out ban above the city’s watershed. At a special hearing on the issue two weeks ago called by City Councilman James Gennaro, Speaker Christine Quinn expressed alarm. “We can’t allow drilling to proceed until we know what the consequences will be,” she said. “We should not move forward at this time.” click here for the complete article

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September, 8, 2008, The Oneonta Daily Star: Groups Urge Hold On Gas Drilling "The Catskill Mountainkeeper, a nonprofit advocacy group, has sent similar letters to the governor." click here for the complete article

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August 18, 2008, River Reporter: Beaverkill Covered Bridge Protected by Fritz Mayer "Ramsay Adams, executive director of the Catskill Mountainkeeper, said, “The Beaverkill Covered Bridge has been a focal point of community here for more than 150 years. This historic recognition will ensure that it continues to be a symbol of the Beaverkill for future generations and provide an important link in one of the state’s first Catskill campgrounds.” click here for the complete article

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August 14, 2008. Queens Tribune: Gas Drilling Could Affect Drinking Water Supply by Noah C. Zuss  Ramsay Adams, Executive Director of Catskill Mountainkeeper, agrees. “Catskill Mountainkeeper strongly supports Council Member Gennaro’s call for a moratorium on gas drilling until a complete environmental review is completed that looks at the cumulative impacts that gas drilling in the Catskills will have not only on New York City’s drinking water but also on the Catskill region as a whole,” he said. “Anything less than a total moratorium on gas drilling in the Catskills until a cumulative environmental review is completed is imprudent.” click here for the complete article

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August 13, 2008, Queens Gazette: Gennaro Warns of Threat to City Water Supply by John Toscano "The practice has been opposed by numerous environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, the New York-based Riverkeepers, the Catskill Mountainkeeper, the Sierra Club and the Earthwatch Oil and Gas Accountability Project." click here for the complete article

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August 13, 2008. Times Herald Record: State Promises Strict Oversite of Gas Drilling by Steve Israel "The state will also make sure that gas companies reveal the ingredients of the fluid used in the horizontal drilling process known as fracking — a concern of environmental groups such as Sullivan County's Catskill Mountainkeeper"  click here for the complete article

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August 1, 2008, The Oneonta Daily Star: More than 1,500 sign gas leases By Tom Grace "Far bigger bucks will be involved if the wells produce, but costs to municipalities will soar as well, according to Ramsay Adams, executive director of the Catskill Mountainkeeper.  In late June, the environmental group held a hearing in Walton, where people from Colorado and Wyoming talked about contaminated wells, roads ruined by 30-ton rigs, and areas scarred by drilling." click here for the complete article

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July 30, 2008, The Ithaca Times: East Coast Gas Rush? By Taryn Thompson "Meanwhile, the Catskill Mountainkeeper, at catskillmountainkeeper.org, provides videos, first-hand accounts, and more information on getting organized and informed about the issues surrounding oil and gas development." click here for the complete article

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July 29, 2008, The Sullivan County Democrat:  Catskill Mountainkeeper Gaining Notoriety, By Dan Hust.  "The Youngsville office – staffed by Gillingham, Executive Director Ramsay Adams and Office Manager Beth Scullion – is filled with maps, brochures, newspapers and folders, representing the enormous breadth of the gas issue. Its windows look out on Route 52 and a community that will likely feel the effects of this profitable but controversial industry. Take a look at how Gillingham and Mountainkeeper view it:" click here for the complete article

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July 27, 2008, The New York Times, Our Towns: The Light is Green and Yellow on Drilling "That was enough of a cautionary yellow light to placate some of those deeply worried about the environmental consequences of drilling. Assemblywoman Donna A. Lupardo, a Democrat who represents a district around Binghamton and voted against the bill, said Mr. Paterson clearly heard and responded to the environmental concerns.Others were less sure. On Friday, eight environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Wilderness Society, the Catskill Mountainkeeper and the Riverkeeper, sent Mr. Paterson a letter seeking a moratorium on drilling activity until the environmental impact statement is adopted." click here for the complete article

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July 3, 2008, The New York Times, Our Towns: A Land Rush Is Likely so a Lawyer Gets Ready "The meeting, organized by the Catskill Mountainkeeper environmental group, included both curious landowners and staunch environmentalists, many of whom wanted not to regulate gas drilling in the state, but to stop it."
click here for the complete article

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July 3, 2008, The River Reporter:  Limits of Local Control: Roads, Noise, Pollution and Gas Drilling Safety Discussed, By Fritz Mayer.  "The forum, which was sponsored by the Catskill Mountainkeeper and the Sullivan County Division of Planning and Environmental Management, also brought a lot of talk about the unanticipated impacts that drilling will bring."
click here for the complete article

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June 29, 2008, The New York Times, Our Towns: Gas Drillers in Race for Hearts and Land., by Peter Applebome "Most of the meetings have focused on just such issues of what landowners can do to maximize their return and control. This one, sponsored by the Catskill Mountainkeeper environmental group, featured presentations by landowners and environmental and citizens’ advocates like Jill Morrison of the Powder River Basin Resource Council in Sheridan, Wyo., and Peggy Utesch of the Grand Valley Citizens Alliance in New Castle, Colo."
click here for the complete article

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June 20, 2008,  The Middletown Times Herald Record.  Bill would notably impact Sullivan County: Horizontal drilling wells would be allowed for first time in N.Y.,  "In some ways, the existing law is probably better right now because it slows the process down a bit," said Wes Gillingham, program director for the Catskill Mountainkeeper environmental group. "The new law opens up the opportunity for oil companies to move at a faster pace."
click here for the complete article

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