Film examines threats to New York State drinking water

Written by Mimi Koren

Thursday, 29 July 2010 16:14

The League of Women Voters of Larchmont/Mamaroneck (LWV) announces a screening of the award-winning HBO documentary “GasLand,” directed by Josh Fox, on Wednesday, Aug. 4, at 6:15 p.m. at the Harrison Library, 2 Bruce Ave., Harrison. “GasLand” is a compelling look at the issue of “hydrofracking” for natural gas and the detrimental effects it has had on communities across the country.

When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for natural-gas drilling, he embarks on a cross-country journey during which he uncovers a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently drilled Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many troubling revelations the film presents.

This issue is of particular interest to Westchester residents because of concerns that gas companies in upstate New York may begin hydrofracking in the Marcellus Shale, an issue the local LWV addressed in February. Hydrofracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a means of extracting natural gas through deep well drilling. The process injects millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals, under high pressure, into a well. The pressure fractures the shale, opening fissures that enable natural gas to flow more freely out of the well. Among the irreversible environmental risks of hydrofracking, it threatens to contaminate ground water with natural gas and the volatile chemicals used to extract it, such as benzene and toluene, rendering it undrinkable.

For more information on the process, see http://gaslandthemovie.com/whats-fracking.

The screening of “GasLand” is sponsored by Westchester for Change. Assemblyman Robert Castelli, through whose offices a pre-release copy of the film was obtained, will introduce the film. An environmental expert from Citizens Campaign for the Environment will clarify issues raised by the film and field questions from the floor. To attend, RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call Susan Van Dolsen at
914-921-3526.

Please register or login to add your comments to this article.

HomeTown Blogs

Get the latest news from your community at HomeTown Happenings, the new blog from the HomeTown Media Group. Check here for breaking news and exclusive online content from HomeTown's editorial team.

Subscribe to HomeTown Happenings

HomeTown Blogs

From the field