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Artvoice Weekly Edition » Issue v11n33 (08/16/2012) » Section: Week in Review


Most NYS Senate Candidates United on Key Issue

The issue of high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing (fracking)—the highly controversial method of extracting natural gas from underground shale formations—has become the number one issue in the race for the 60th New York State Senate District, currently held by Republican Mark Grisanti. There is a moratorium on permitting the practice in New York, pending the conclusions of a report from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)—though insiders expect an announcement soon. There is widespread speculation that lawmakers will throw the industry a bone by allowing fracking in a handful of poorer counties in the southern tier. A ban is already in place for areas that comprise the New York City watershed.

Nate Hangs in the Balance

Nate Buckley has been waiting for a disposition of his criminal case for about a year and a half, and hoping for some justice, as he envisions it, for as long. In the weeks and months leading up to last Friday’s Buffalo City Court date, he was expecting a resolution. But by the beginning of last week, he knew this wasn’t going to happen. He’d been warned by his lawyers that they would ask the court for additional time to prepare a motion to dismiss the case. Friday morning, Judge Joseph Fiorella granted them until the end of August to file it and asked the prosecutor to respond by September 21, or sooner if possible.

The Public Accountability Initiative on the University of Texas Frack Study Controversy

The Public Accountability Initiative (PAI) has released a statement regarding the panel of experts that the University of Texas (UT) at Austin named to review its fracking report.



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