It recently
came to my attention that my integrity and credibility is being besmirched and
challenged publicly. I will respond to the challenge by turning it into an
opportunity to start a dialogue with my challengers.
My
discussions on the issue of the mitigation of the potential impacts related to
natural gas development in Otsego County have been based on the facts and
methodology that have been used at both the state and federal level. These
developed regulations have successful worked at ensuring the protection of
human health and the environment. I focused my public dialogue on the
principles associated with environmental impact abatement strategies.
·
Baseline and regular monitoring of
water quality is imperative.
This is done to ensure that the mitigation measures employed are working as
expected.
·
Mitigating or eliminating pathways of
potential exposure ensure that people will not be exposed. In order for public
health to be affected by any contaminant there has to be a pathway linking the
two. If state mandated permit conditions and regulations are designed to
eliminate pathways, then human exposure should be eliminated, sparing any negative
health implications.
·
Exposure pathways can be eliminated. For example by the use of
containment (closed loop systems) and setbacks. In the scenario of air
emissions, setbacks allow for contaminant levels to drop to below ambient
levels at their potential point of contact with the local population.
·
Water and Air Quality Standards. Ensuring that in the case of a
completed pathway, then exposure if it does occur occurs at levels below
quality standard. This effectively protects from acute, chronic health impacts
and clinical disease progression.
Mitigation
strategies employed by the NYSDEC in the sGEIS are similar to other NYSDEC and
USEPA mitigation strategies employed in other circumstances. A good
example is the containment of petroleum in an underground storage tank at a
neighborhood gas station. There are close to 600,000 underground storage tanks
(UST) in the US. These tanks contain either petroleum or hazardous materials. A
leak from a UST means certain groundwater contamination. Groundwater supplies
must be protected since they supply a large majority of the drinking water for
US residents. Regulations have been developed at the federal and
state level to effectively minimize the incidents of leakage, rusting, and
spillage of petroleum from UST. The UST program has successfully
managed to protect water. Therefore, the concept of effective containment
works; closed loop systems will and have worked in eliminating certain exposure
pathways (Air emissions from benzene and VOC’s from open pits containing frac
flowback are eliminated no ozone, hence no asthma).
Being
mindful about protecting human health and protecting the environmental is all
about maintaining meaningful dialogue with all involved to solve environmental
issues. I urge everyone to keep the dialogue constructive and
solution oriented.
Uni Blake
Environmental Toxicologist
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