[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 7 (Thursday, January 21, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          NATURAL GAS DRILLING

  (Mr. ARCURI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to talk 
about an issue that has taken root in my district and across Upstate 
New York, and that is the concern over natural gas drilling prospects 
in a procedure called ``hydraulic fracturing.''
  Natural gas is a great natural resource for this country to cultivate 
to use for heat and energy. However, in Upstate New York we have 
another natural resource that is critical to our survival and 
prosperity, and that is our water.
  Our water supply is precious, and we are so fortunate in Upstate New 
York to have an abundance of water resources that I never want to take 
for granted and will always fight to protect.
  Now, I don't want to oppose natural gas drilling in Upstate New York 
because there is a definite opportunity for gas drilling that has a 
positive impact, and I think that that's an important thing if we are 
going to address energy costs and local jobs in the region. But I don't 
want to sacrifice the purity of our water resources by rushing to drill 
before the infrastructure is in place in New York to regulate it in the 
way that it needs to be regulated.
  I will stand with the people in my district who could be affected by 
natural gas drilling to ensure that their water is protected.

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