According to Nicole, the tech person we have been working with at the OnCenter, the EPA hearing (which was yesterday moved from Binghamton to Syracuse) will be postponed until September. No date has been set. The OnCenter is still working with the EPA  – as well as an outside agency – to host an event in the future.

The AP had reported a crowd of 8000 was expected to attend. Security issues for a crowd of that size was one of the factors in the decision to postpone the meeting.

What does this mean?

A few things.  It’s a strong indication of how successful both advocates for and opponents of gas-drilling have been in getting the word out about drilling.   It shows just how intimately involved New Yorkers are in the decisions surrounding this process.  It’s clear that upstaters are vigorously determined to protect their ground water from anything that might affect it.  It means the lessons learned from wells drilled in Pennsylvania are being absorbed & considered.  It means that  changes in the regulatory system,  as well as in the drilling process itself, will be demanded, debated and meticulously vetted before any high pressure wells are drilled in upstate New York. 
We will keep you posted.