Bill Text: NY S06903 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires a seismological impact study related to hydrofracking.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-04-09 - REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION [S06903 Detail]
Download: New_York-2011-S06903-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 6903 I N S E N A T E April 9, 2012 ___________ Introduced by Sen. AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation AN ACT to require a seismological impact study related to hydrofracking THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. The purpose of this legislation is to inform the people of 2 the state of New York of any and all potential seismological impacts 3 posed by the extraction of natural gas using horizontal drilling and 4 high-volume hydraulic fracturing and to provide an analysis of those 5 impacts. Such analysis and information shall help facilitate informed 6 decisions regarding actions to be taken with respect to such activities 7 in the state. 8 S 2. Pursuant to appropriation, a school of geological sciences within 9 the state university of New York (hereinafter "the school of geological 10 sciences") shall conduct a comprehensive seismological impact assessment 11 to examine potential geophysical impacts that may be caused by the 12 extraction of natural gas using horizontal drilling and high-volume 13 hydraulic fracturing. For the purposes of this act, a "seismological 14 impact assessment" shall mean a combination of procedures, methods, and 15 tools by which a policy, program, or project may be judged as to its 16 potential effects on the seismic activity in the surrounding area, and 17 the potential impact in New York state. 18 S 3. Prior to the commencement of such assessment, the school of 19 geological sciences conducting such assessment shall prepare a scoping 20 document that will establish the parameters of the seismological impact 21 assessment. The scoping document shall include the analyses required by 22 this act, as well as any other analyses conducted, and shall be subject 23 to public review, comment and revision. 24 S 4. Such seismological assessment of the extraction of natural gas 25 using horizontal drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing shall 26 include, at a minimum, the following analyses: 27 (a) Identification and assessment of the impact that high-volume 28 hydraulic fracturing has on seismic activity in surrounding areas; EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD15243-01-2 S. 6903 2 1 (b) Estimated costs of any seismological impacts to the state as a 2 whole; 3 (c) Recommendations for any mitigation of potential seismic impacts 4 and the methods and evidence used to arrive at such recommendations; and 5 (d) A long-term plan for monitoring, evaluating, tracking and mitigat- 6 ing potential seismic impacts. 7 S 5. A draft of such seismological impact assessment shall be released 8 for public review and comment. The school of geological sciences 9 conducting such assessment shall conduct a minimum of two public hear- 10 ings regarding the findings of the draft seismological impact assessment 11 and allow at least one hundred eighty days for the public to submit 12 comments. Upon the closing of the public comment period, such school of 13 geological sciences shall categorize, review and respond to all public 14 comments. If substantive changes to the seismological impact assessment 15 are made as a result of public comments, such school of geological 16 sciences shall issue a revised draft. Such revised draft shall similarly 17 be subject to public comment and review, in compliance with the parame- 18 ters set out for the initial draft. 19 S 6. After responding to all public comments as required by section 20 five of this act, and upon completion of the seismological impact 21 assessment, such school of geological sciences shall submit the 22 completed seismological impact assessment to the department of environ- 23 mental conservation. The department of environmental conservation shall 24 make such seismological impact assessment available to the public and 25 deliver copies to the legislature and the governor for review. 26 S 7. This act shall take effect immediately.