Community Corner

Group Renews Call for Fracking Ban

Second Mt. Kisco vigil urges Cuomo to oppose the natural gas drilling process.

Anxious to see that the hydraulic fracturing method for natural gas drilling be stopped, opponents held a second vigil in Mount Kisco, urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo to support a ban.

The vigil, held Wednesday at , attracted dozens. It followed , which was held in front of Mount Kisco Village Hall.

The technique, also called fracking, has drawn worry from Westchester County citizens and clergy, who at the event argued that it could endanger human health and the environment.

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“We are waiting for the Governor to announce his prohibition of hydrofracking in New York," said Suzannah Glidden, a North Salem resident who was a co-organizer for it. "Until he does, we are going to continue to grow the movement and hold as many vigils as it takes.”

The event was marked by interfaith prayers and tunes, urging Cuomo, who lives near by in New Castle, to come to their side.

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Currently, there is essentially a moratorium on new fracking permits, by the state's Department of Environmental Conservation.

Attendees warned that any potentially damage done could be a disaster. Looking at the matter from a religious point of view, some argued that exploitation of the planet could provoke its wrath.

“If we poison the Earth, if we poison our air and we poison the ground and we poison our water, the Earth will in turn poison us. It’s a simple truth," said Jordan Hersh, an intern at Temple Israel Center in White Plains.

Pastor Karen Burger, of , stated that people have a role in watching out for the well being of the planet.

“We believe that as humans we are stewards of the Earth and it matters what we do to take care of it," she said, before leading a prayer.

Rabbi Douglas Krantz, of Armonk's Congregation B'Nai Yisrael, cited the Old Testament, and how God warned Adam not to destroy his creations.

“Is that not exactly the warning that we want to transmit to our Governor? Do not destroy our creation because there will be no one to set it right after you.”

Dr. Mahjabeen Hassan, a physician who lives in the Pleasantville area, offered a Muslim spiritual statement about caring for the planet. She noted that people are the ones responsible for Earth, and warned against doing anything that could harm future generations.

Erin Heaton, an Armonk resident who also has a place in New Berlin, NY, which is in Chenango County, a region reported as a possible area to drill. She warned that fracking could hurt existing industries, from fishing to a recent boom in Greek yogurt. The county and town are each home to Chobani Yogurt, one of the boom's leaders.

“This idea [fracking] would put that completely to rest," she said. "We can’t have both. We can’t lift it up and push it down at the same time”

Talk at the vigil turned also included concern about the environmental impact of infrastructure needed for natural gas, such as pipelines and compressors. 

The group, once again, ended its vigil with a soft chant, singing "Governor Cuomo, ban fracking now. Ban fracking now."


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