An incisive editorial from the Times Herald-Record about why the DEC's Friday decision to make it tough for gas drilling in NYC's watershed means that drilling elsewhere in New York state is now inevitable:
The city, with all its lawyers, money and clout, was a good partner for those towns, cities and villages, plus all their residents, who do not have the resources to take on the oil and gas industry. The struggle to prevent pollution of the water and desecration of the land would be a universal goal.
Last week, however, the state removed the city watershed from the sites where drilling could take place and, therefore, removed the city as a potential ally for others who fear what drilling will bring. That decision had nothing to do with the environment and everything to do with politics.
The head of the state Department of Environmental Conservation, Pete Grannis, is a New York City pol, a man who has the admiration of many who care about the environment but who also cares more about the city than about the other parts of the state. Nothing shows that more than this decision, which alters the balance of power in the struggle over drilling.
