Protest at Binghamton Disaster Preparedness Training

The topic may be disaster preparedness, but Binghamton area residents who oppose high volume, hydraulic fracture drilling for natural gas make their presence known.

Protestors had planned to rally at the program at the Binghamton University Events Center that is being conducted by state-wide emergency services officials to train local families on techniques to better prepare for disasters like the 2011 flood and know what to do in the immediate aftermath.

Families that registered prior to the session were to receive a backpack containing some basic supplies for coping with the immediate aftermath of a disaster.

New York State Senator Thomas Libous and Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo along with Binghamton University President Doctor Harvey Stenger said they planned to attend but it was not clear if Governor Andrew Cuomo, who called for the training sessions across the state, would be in attendance.

The anti-fracking demonstrators had put out a call for residents armed with signs and props to gather outside of the Events Center Saturday from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m.

The demonstrators say they want the Governor to, in their words, “avoid creating fracking disasters in (the) Southern Tier and New York State."