Despite the masterful job of advocating for our region done by the Finger Lakes Economic Development Council, co-chaired by Joel Seligman and Danny Wegman, our region was not selected for a top award. Nevertheless, we are proud of the case they made for a robust, sustainable, beautiful region with an enviable quality of life, and we look forward to our community working together to bring it to fruition.

However, we share the concern with many citizens that conflicting interests may derail efforts to strengthen our economy, in particular that the regulation of hydrofracturing - or lack thereof - will not only inadequately protect our environment and health, but ultimately negatively affect our economy.

The Finger Lakes plan includes collaborations to improve our health; create environmentally sustainable clean energy; encourage innovative businesses; capitalize on a thriving magnet for businesses and tourism; and support our robust agriculture and food processing industry, winemakers, wine researchers, and producers of organic products, as well as dairy, food, and beverage manufacturing. It boasts of the scenic beauty that has made the Finger Lakes and our emerging Wine Country an international destination, comparing favorably with the beauty of California's Napa Valley and the Loire Valley in France.

Can we be assured that toxic, polluting substances and processes will not be inserted, mixed with, and released from the earth into our water supplies and the air? Before proceeding, we need to be assured of regulatory excellence and adequate research into the potential effects on the people working on these wells, on the water supply for the larger population, and on the pathways of exposure to potential disease.

The federal government's Environmental Protection Agency revealed last month their peer-reviewed plan of study of toxic wastewater that will be reported on in 2012 and 2014. They will study fluids before and after high-volume hydraulic fracturing, as well as the wastewater from states already engaged in this extraction method. It would seem prudent to wait for the results of these scientific government studies before proceeding and to include in the regulatory consideration the cumulative impacts, health risk assessments, and toxic wastewater disposal plans.

Each culture cherishes its own creation myth, and there is poetry and wisdom in the Book of Genesis, which calls upon us to "till and tend" the Earth, our beautiful planet with its life-giving waters and fresh clean air. Hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas from deep in the ground may pollute our water and air and blight the land for which we are stewards. At what price do we risk these precious resources?

We applaud the earth-friendly vision of the Regional Council and urge prudence and caution as the DEC and the State of New York consider the rewards and risks of hydrofracturing.

JOEL ELLIOTT, HENRIETTA, AND JOYCE HERMAN, PENFIELD

Elliot and Herman are members of the steering committee of Reform Jewish Voice of New York State. RJV interacts with more than 100 Reform Jewish congregations in New York State. While RJV is focusing on hydrofracking for the entire state of New York, the specific comments on the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Council and this region are those of Herman and Elliot.