Several fracking activists gathered outside of Governor Cuomo’s office in New York City today to celebrate the Governors surprise decision to ban fracking in New York next year.
Governor Cuomo made the decision after being presented with a report from the Commissioners of Health and Environment that led him to determine that fracking is a danger to public health and to the environment. Upstate New York has significant shale resources.
Today’s decision came as a surprise to delighted activists from several different organizations around the State, many of whom were preparing to go to Albany for the State of the State speech in January. The demonstration was expected to be larger than previous demonstrations, and a show of strength in advance of an imminent decision. In the recent New York Gubernatorial elections, the Green party made major advances, surpassing both the progressive Working Families Party and the Independence Party and moving to second place, behind the Democrats.
Governor Cuomo once again surprised the fractivists by appearing at the demonstration where he thanked the activists for their voices., telling him that he had heard them. The activists handed him a giant “thank you” card, which he promised to keep.
