A newly released video of New York State Senator Thomas O’Mara interacting with an unknown person in a parking lot questioning him about a potential liquid propane gas facility on Seneca Lake reveals the Senator’s strong support for the project - and disdain for anyone who questions this support.
In the video O’Mara responds to a question about the proposed LPG storage facility for the old salt caverns next to Seneca Lake with emphatic support.
“I absolutely think its the right idea...because it is talking about moving forward.”
The many people who have recently been arrested opposing this project don’t agree with this idea that using old salt caverns for LPG storage is a way of “moving forward.”
At one point as the questioner says he doesn’t believe the caverns are safe for LPG storage, the Senator bluntly asks him what he’s read.
“What the fuck have you read? I haven’t been down in the cavern. Have you been down in the cavern?”
One of the things “down in the cavern” where they want to store this gas is a 400,000 ton chunk of rock that fell from the roof down into the cavern in the 1960’s. Four hundred thousand tons. One geologist has characterized regulator’s oversight of this issue as “an incredible error.”
About four minutes into the interaction O’Mara’s wife makes a statement saying that the Senator “would never ever ever support anything that would contaminate this area in any way shape or form.”
And then the questioner replies, “Hmm. That’s interesting.”
The wife reiterates her point, “Never. Ever...” but then is cut off by the Senator.
“What do you mean that’s interesting? What the fuck do you mean that’s interesting? Tell me.”
At this point the Senator gets out of the car.
“For crying out loud, what the fuck do you mean that’s interesting? I’ve done nothing but other than sitting here answering your fucking questions and you tell me thats fucking interesting? You’re a fucking douchebag!! Get the fuck out of my face right now! Now!”
At which point the questioner says, “I’m out of your face.”
But the Senator isn't finished, “No. Move move, move asswipe! Now I’ve had enough of you and your kind. Get the fuck out of here. I’ve had enough. Get the fuck out of here. Now! No. Get moving!! Get moving!!”
“I’m out. I’ve moved. I never was in his face.”
O’Mara’s office has released a statement in response to the video saying, “My only concern became personal safety and to get this person out of our car and away from us.”
If this was the case it would seem like the Senator would have driven away instead of getting out of his vehicle and yelling threats at the questioner.
It is understandable why O’Mara would have had enough of the people protesting fracking and LPG gas storage in New York. O’Mara has been a strong supporter of fracking and projects like the gas storage facility at Seneca Lake.
In 2012 when O’Mara was touting the benefits of fracking he was only able to come up with two downsides to the industry. A potential housing shortage and the possibility of damaged roads. The environment didn’t get mentioned.
Which is no surprise, as that year Common Cause reported that O’Mara was one of New York’s top 10 political recipients of money from the natural gas industry for the five previous years.
Back in 2012 however O’Mara was also confident that the science would show that fracking was safe.
“In the conclusion of its report, Common Cause says they want to make sure the ultimate policy adopted by our state is based on fact and science,” O’Mara said. “And that’s consistent with my position all along on fracking – that we have the experts determine if we can do this responsibly and safely, and set forth regulations to do it responsibly and safely.”
He wasn’t quite as pleased with the decision by the experts that was based on science that was announced at the end of 2014 banning fracking in NY.
"It was such a disgusting dog-and-pony show,"O'Mara told the Ithaca Journal, "There's no way in my mind that the governor wasn't fully involved in that decision-making process."
In late 2014 O’Mara was a featured speaker at the annual conference of the Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York where he gave a talk titled, “2015—The Fate of Oil & Gas in New York.”
O’Mara was also one of 7 no votes on the New York Senate Environmental Conservation Committee in April of 2014 that voted down a bill to prohibit the transportation of waste product or byproduct from hydraulic fracturingoperations in New York - a bill designed to stop the dumping of Pennsylvania's fracking waste in New York.
So, O’Mara’s brief moment of parking lot honesty shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The organized and sustained opposition to fracking in New York must have been incredibly frustrating to one of its champions and he should be believed when he states he has had enough of “you and your kind” - or as they are also known - his constituents.
Updated:
Actual audio and remix.