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October 5, 2011 March 26, 2011 February 28, 2011

Letters to Governor Cuomo

Since Governor Cuomo’s inauguration in January 2010, hundreds of health professionals and organizations from across the state of New York have called on hisadministration to conduct an independent, comprehensive Health Impact Assessment. Below are the letters.

Nirav R. Shah, M.D., M.P.H.Commissioner, New York State Department of HealthCorning TowerEmpire State Plaza,Albany, NY 12237

Dear Dr Shah,

I am following up on the letter sent to you several weeks ago from a large group of medical doctors, scientists andother health professionals regarding public health and hydrofracking.

Since we have not had a response, I am re-sending our original letter to you, as well as this summary and additionalsignatories we have collected since the letter was sent to you on March 1st. In addition to the individual signatories,the Physicians for Social Responsibility, National, Washington, DC, have signed this letter since February 28th.

To summarize our requests, we again respectfully ask that the SGEIS on hydraulic fracturing in Marcellus and othertight shales combined with horizontal drilling be expanded at this time to include human health impacts.

The public health concerns are the following:

DOH had inadequate input into the drafting of the SGEIS as it is clear from the contents of that documentthat human health was not addressed adequately;the medical community has had inadequate input; in fact, many physicians are just now learning about hydrofracking;public health hazards of the lifecycle of gas drilling with horizontal hydrofracking were not addressed;the SGEIS contains no health impacts assessment;the potential health impacts may have serious and widespread negative public health consequences;exemptions from federal health laws which would have served to protect public health have not been addressed in the current SGEIS.

We therefore request:

involvement of the NYS DOH in all matters concerning gas drilling with hydraulic fracturing in Marcellusand other tight shales;co-lead agency status of the DOH with the DEC on the SGEIS, as the EPA recommended, and to considerother steps that can be taken to evaluate the risks to public health prior to the State permitting hydraulicfracturing;involvement of the medical community, including the many leading research and health institutions withinNY State in assessing the risks to human health via a comprehensive Health Impacts Assessment, coordinated by the NYS DOH;an expansion of the scope of the SGEIS to include the Health Impacts Assessment;inclusion in the SGEIS of all the exempted provisions of the federal public health and environmental laws.a prohibition of all hydrofracking while a health impacts assessment is being done and the findings reviewedby all stakeholders as to whether the risks to human health are worth the gas extracted.

We again respectfully request a meeting to review these necessary measures and will follow up in a week.

Regards,Larysa Dyrszka, MD

Additional Signatories to Letter for Nirav R. Shah, MD

COMPENDIUM LETTERS TO GOV. CUOMO CALL FOR AN HIA DOCUMENTATION ABOUT CONTACT

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Physicians for Social Responsibility, National, Washington, DCPerry Sheffield, MD, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NYPhilip J. Landrigan, MD, Dean for Global Health, Mt. Sinai School of MedicineJames E. Cone, MD, Medical Director, World Trade Center Health Registry, New York, NYVinod Namana, MSSM MPH, Hicksville, NYShruti Kumar, Flushing, NYAllina Nocon, MPH Student, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NYMahak Jain, MSBS Student, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NYPrashant Vempati, MSBS Student, Mt. Sinai School of MedicineAnita Lui, MSBS, Mt. Sinai School of MedicineEmily Pepyne, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NYJ. Legha, NY School of Medicine, New York, NYJoel Kupferman, Esq., NY Env. Law & Justice Project, New York, NYMohanie Sahades, N.Y.C.C.T., Ozone Park, N.Y.Dr. Pulmer, Columbia University, New York, NYLila J. Kalinich, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NYAni Tilozian, Cornell University/Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, N.Y.Naomi Silberstern, RPH, Registered Pharmacist N.Y., Washington State, Florida 1620 Ave. I, Brooklyn, NYJesse Cohen, MD MPH Student, New York, NYKathy Kiverson Hecht, Volunteer for MSSM Global Health Training Center, Princeton Jct., NJZoey Luskaris, MPH Hunter Collage/ CBNS Queens College, Brooklyn, NYMichall Ignot, DO, Candidate NY College of Osteopathic Medicine, Brooklyn NYPenelope Suero, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Brooklyn, NYCourtney Nagel, MD, Mt. Sinai Hospital, New York, NYCaitlin O’Brien, MD, Mt. Sinai Hospital, New York, NYJoseph Truglio, MD, New York, NYJustine Witzke, MSSM Student, New York, NYSweta Patel, MSSM Student, New York, NYMansi Mehta, MPH Student, Lake Hiawatha, NJJonathan Jimenez, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Medical Student, New York, NYXenia Lynn Teresa Williams, Heartsoul Ekonomia Institute, New York, NYTemitape Awosogba, Medical Student, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, NYC, NYElena Rohona, Medical Student, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Brooklyn, NYFred Chyke, Cert. Industrial Hygienist (NYLDEP), Flushing, NYBonnie Wifler, Sierra Church, New York, NYBarry Castleman, ScD Environmental Consultant, Garrett Park, MDJonathan Ripp, Associate Director, Global Health Training Center, New York, NYTeodora RomanoJamie Zimmerman, Medical Student, New York, NYMargaret Rafferty, NDNP MPH, New York, NYHerline Dolce, RN AAS, Brooklyn, NYElena Limonile, RN, Brooklyn, NYCarlos A. Castro, RPA-C Mt. Sinai/ MMSc Physician Assistant, MPH Student, Jackson Heights, NYRamon Murphy, MD, Mt. Sinai Hospital, New York, NYNedra Huffman, MPH, New York, NYDr. Judith Hodge, DVM, MPH Candid. NYU Master Global Public Health Program, New York, NYTorian Easterlina, MD, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, NYMichael R. Dillon, PhD, AAIDD, New York, NYMarie Park, Retired Scientist, New York, NYLoraine O’Neil, RN MPH, New York, NYSantish Niraula, MD, MBBS, Tribhuvan University, Staten Island, NYLauren Peccoralo, MD, MSSM, ABM, New York, NYShreedhar Paudel, Mt. Sinai School of Med., Staten Island, NYAnna Koulova, New York Medical College, Bronx, NYAntoinette Kuzminski, MD, Fly Creek, NYJoseph Gilbert, MSSM MPH Student, Astoria, NYArlene Bregman, DrPH, Bethel, NY

Additional signatories, added May 2011

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© 2012 Concerned Health Professionals of New York

Shaleshock Action Alliance (Sara Hess)Westchester for Change (Susan Van Dolsen)

The following group of physicians are residents of, and practice in Sullivan County, NYIA Shahid Chouhdry, MDMichael Siegel, MDAmasit Gill, MDErie Agustin, MDShu Chu, MDArthur Goldstein, MDScott Morgan, MDDreher Patel, MDCamille Irvelyne, MDJulie Steiner, MDHussein Omar, MDBarry Scheinfeld, MDW Sidorowicz, MDDarshman Trivedi, MDClifford Teich, MDDr ZipparoCherif Makram, MDRenu Seth-Jerath, MDDavid Schwalb, MDUmhey & Raspa, MD, PC

Additional signatories:Julia Parete, NP Adult and Women’s Health, Ithaca, NYJessica Ernst B.Sc., M.Sc., President Ernst Environmental Services, Rosebud, Alberta, CanadaBob Stuart, Spiritwood, SK, Canada

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