DEC- "We will only deal with the number of permits that we have the staff to handle,"

DEC chief: Gas-drilling review likely to run through summer

Martens cites need for revisions, public comment

8:16 PM, Mar. 31, 2011    

Mary Esch
Associated Press

ALBANY -- The new head of New York's Department of Environmental Conservation said the review of a massive document that will guide drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale will likely continue through the summer.

"We will only deal with the number of permits that we have the staff to handle," he said. "So, if we can only handle 10 applications a year, we'll do 10, even if 150 come in the door. Both the industry and the environmental community want us to have the staff to handle it, so I don't have any concerns about the resources not becoming available."

I wonder how many times we have said this and no-one listened or believed it... SO there it is from the DEC Chief himself.