The Faculty Senate will vote today on a measure to support or discourage the University from leasing land to private drilling companies in search of natural gas in the Marcellus Shale. We urge the senate to vote against this leasing and drilling.

While natural gas produces far fewer amounts of pollutants than any other fossil fuel, the risks involved in its extraction are, as of now, far too dangerous. Before the University leases any land for drilling, stringent safety measures must be implemented to ensure that the social, economic and environmental impacts are minimal.

Concerned with the community impacts of drilling, New York State residents have taken quick action. Most notably, landowner coalitions, local advocacy groups and community task forces have vocalized many serious concerns with natural gas drilling. In July, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation made a wise decision by putting a moratorium on any Marcellus Shale development within New York State until more studies on the effects of drilling could be conducted.

A draft of the report, released this past September, included several recommendations and some regulations that drilling companies should abide by. But, as of now, the DEC’s draft report does not have sufficiently stringent requirements for drilling companies on essential issues. Before the University leases any land for drilling, rigorous guidelines must be put in place.

Of most concern to residents of Southern New York is water supply. The extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale requires horizontal drilling and hydraulic-fracturing. These are expensive, labor- and time-intensive procedures. Each well can require up to 3 million or more gallons of water, which first must be pumped into the ground and then recovered, becoming contaminated with potentially harmful substances.

It must be made clear how local water availability will not be impacted by the drilling. Disposal of contaminated water and radioactive material recovered from the well must also be predetermined. Toxic fluids would be devastating to the environment and the community, so a safe and ecological disposal method must be mapped out. In addition to ensuring water safety, further planning needs to be done to ensure that there will be no negative social or economic repercussions to drilling.

As one of the leading users of electricity in the area, Cornell has an obligation to the community to be a leader in investigating these environmental issues and protecting the natural resources of students, faculty, staff and community residents.

There is currently a lack of clear and stringent planning for gas drilling in Southern New York. We urge the Faculty Senate to discourage the University from leasing any land for drilling purposes at this point.