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Pataki, a Peekskill native who is a Garrison resident, also backed keeping fracking away from parks and New York City’s watershed in the Catskill Mountains and Hudson River Valley. He also called for rules and regulations for fracking, which is the hydraulic fracturing of shale rock to access the oil and natural gas underneath.
In making the case for the extraction of natural gas, Pataki argued it is cleaner than coal and heating oil, and would help in reducing carbon emissions. He also suggested fracking could help create jobs and benefit the state’s Southern Tier, which he described as one of the state’s poorest areas.
Pataki repeatedly emphasized the benefit of having both environmental protection and economic growth, calling the two “synergistic.” He also touted environmental progress during his tenure, such as use of the Brownfield program to clean up property for redevelopment.
Addressing the crowd, which gathered on Friday morning at Putnam County Golf Course in Mahopac, Pataki also criticized people who proclaim support for the environment but live lifestyles to the contrary. He claimed there were folks who participated in a recent Manhattan march against climate change doing just that.
“It’s wonderful to be able to say you feel good because you’re out there protesting for a good cause. But it’s wrong to be completely hypocritical in the demands you make of others when you’re not willing to give up anything yourself,” Pataki said.
The local role of his wife, Libby Pataki, as Putnam County’s tourism director, also was mentioned prior to his speech. The former governor, in remarks about Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell, said she has the “best tourism director” in the United States.
“I can’t think of her name,” he joked.
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