Ball Calls for Tough Fracking Laws at Mt. Kisco Talk

Taking his hydraulic fracturing presentation on the road, state Sen. Greg Ball with a talk at the .

During his Thursday talk, Ball (R-Patterson) slammed the natural gas industry and politicians in both parties who he says are beholden to their interests.

“The problem with fracking is the problem with politics in the United States of America," said Ball.

Ball, who has given the presentation in multiple parts of his district, described regulations in Pennsylvania as an example of how not to regulate the fracturing, also referred to as fracking. In his talk, Ball showed data from a 2009-10 study conducted by the Pennsylvania Fishing & Boating Commission, which showed 30 percent of well areas (with a sample of more than 100) looked at had contamination issues.

Concerns that Ball raised about the process are whether or not the used fracking fluids can be properly processed, whether land owners have sufficient protections in the land contracts they sign, and sediment and erosion controls to deal with runoff coming from the sites.

“These permits are being granted in the most pristine ecosystems and high-value watersheds," he said, showing maps with the overlap.

Additionally, Ball raised concern about fluids being properly disposed of, whether through discharge of treated water into streams or by burying material. He also worries about the amount of water being used on each well, which he expained is in the millions of gallons range in Pennsylvania.

“This is a huge amount of water," he said.

Ball recounted his visit to an area in Pennsylvania where the drilling has been taking place and described anecdotes from his trip. He came away with a negative impression, based on his descriptions.

During the talk, Ball mentioned his proposed legislation that he calls a "Property Owner’s Bill of Rights." The bill, which has an equivalent version in the state assembly, calls for: mandating disclosure of the chemicals in fracking fluids, compensation to land owners that is 150 percent of the property's pre-drilling market value, full compension to land owners for clean up, a more extensive environmental review, and lifetime free medical monitoring for property owners. Click here for more details on his proposal.

The audience, which was close to two dozen, was largely supportive of having a tougher stance with the gas companies.

Chappaqua resident Kevin Shaw described the situation as "one of economics and externalities," citing broader consequences from fracking that he worries could be given to the public to deal with, such as potential medical costs.

Harry McCartney, a Mount Kisco resident who that include its relationship with nature, took a holistic look at the situation. He asked Ball about how fracking could impact areas such as municipal infrastructure and the ability to get mortgages for property that has already been fracked.