Assembly passes fracking moratorium bill

By Cady Kuzmich

A moratorium on high-volume, horizontal, hydraulic fracturing was passed in the Assembly and delivered to the Senate on Monday. The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Robert Sweeney, passed the Assembly by a vote of 89 to 34. If passed in the Senate, the bill, A.5424-b, would ban the controversial drilling practice for three years from the day it is signed.

The bill cites recent studies on the potential health and environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing conducted in Colorado and Pennsylvania which show increased rates of birth defects for families living near natural gas wells. The bill also notes increased levels of air and water pollutants, including carcinogenic contaminants, near natural gas wells.

As a relatively new method of gas extraction, the environmental, health and economic impacts of high-volume, horizontal hydraulic fracturing are still not fully understood. The moratorium will allow the state time to thoroughly evaluate the potential effects of the controversial drilling practice before permitting hydraulic fracturing in New York, its supporters say.

http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2014-06-17-88314.113122-Assembly-passes-fracking-moratorium-bill.html