Here he goes again. Every time Gov. Cuomo comes close to meeting one of his own deadlines to approve fracking, he finds another excuse for delay — which starts the whole process all over again.
So, with all eyes on a Feb. 27 deadline to draw up regulations and OK the drilling process, we weren’t surprised on Monday to hear the head of the governor’s Department of Environmental Conservation admit it will be “difficult to . . . get the regulations finalized” on time.
Plus, the DEC says it’s now hired an expert to determine if fracking causes earthquakes, which may push a decision back another six months. This joins a long list of manufactured delays:
* When the gov revealed his first fracking plans in 2011, DEC pledged to take public comments on them through the fall.
* That September, DEC extended the public-comment deadline to December.
* In November, DEC extended the deadline again, to January.
* In February 2012, Cuomo promised a fracking decision “in a couple of months.”
* Two months later, DEC said it would finish up “over the course of the summer.”
* When summer arrived, DEC requested a new health-impact review from the state commissioner of health by Nov. 29.
* In November, Cuomo asked for a 90-day extension into February to finish up.
Now comes DEC Commissioner Joe Martens admitting, “We do not have a timetable” for a decision.
Of course, just because the governor hasn’t announced his decision, it doesn’t mean he hasn’t made one. By repeatedly extending deadlines, Cuomo appeases green activists who want to stop New York from tapping into the Marcellus Shale reserves — but without having to pay any political price for admitting he’s closing the door on new jobs, new energy and new revenues.
In short, the sun will probably burn out before Andrew Cuomo makes up his fracking mind. Then again, that’s the game plan.