Nuance and detail are often the casualties of a debate dominated by interests vested in either stopping or promoting hydraulic fracturing. Today’s panel discussion hosted by the Press & Sun-Bulletin and the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce included those necessary voices, but it also went beyond to include an engaged and open-minded audience that steered the discussion in constructive ways.
The audience was part of the Broome Leadership Institute, a program run through the chamber to educate young professionals interested in current events and civic duty. These people, who aspire to serve on boards, advise government, or fill voluntary leadership roles, are interested in mastering the daily issues that most affect their hometowns, and shale gas development is high on the list. As a resident of New York’s Southern Tier, I was encouraged by what they brought to this forum, held in a conference room at the Binghamton Press printing plant in Johnson City.
I was fortunate to be invited to participate on the panel, moderated by Press & Sun Bulletin City Editor Ed Christine. Other guests included Walter Hang, president of Toxic Targeting; Brad Gill, executive director of the Independent Oil & Gas Association of New York; Rob Wedlake, a lease attorney with Hinman, Howard & Kattell; and Brian Shea, legislative director for Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo. Hang and Gill, by the nature of their positions, are adversaries. Hang is a career environmentalist who makes a living by finding and tracking pollution for clients that include civil engineers and developers. Gill is a public relations voice for an industry that is often at the center of Hang’s public criticism.
