Cuomo says poor job numbers in Southern Tier won’t impact fracking decision
Only two areas of the state last month didn’t increase jobs between April 2012 and April 2013: Elmira and Binghamton. And today, labor statistics showed that Elmira was the only area in the state that didn’t see its unemployment rate decrease over the year. Elmira and Binghamton share something else: They both sit over the gas-rich Marcellus Shale.
But Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today that any decision on whether to move forward with hydrofracking won’t be based on the local economy. “The decision is made on the science. So these numbers wouldn’t matter,” Cuomo said when asked at the end of a news conference about an agreement with the Mohawks for casino rights in northern New York.
The state hasn’t made a decision in more than four years about whether to proceed with fracking as opponents pressure Cuomo to reject it and advocates say it would be a boon for the struggling area.
Cuomo continues to say he’s waiting on a final report from the state Department of Health — which has been reviewing fracking since late last year.
http://blogs.democratandchronicle.com/voteup/2013/05/21/cuomo-says-poor-job-numbers-in-southern-tier-wont-impact-fracking-decision/