Senate Dems Push Fracking Ban

[hrmjustin]

Senate Democrats today made a new push for a 2-year moratorium on the controversial gas drilling process hydrofracking with a measure that has already been approved by the Assembly. But its passage in the Senate remains in doubt, where the number two Republican lawmaker is Binghamton Sen. Tom Libous, a proponent of hydrofracking.

Still, the GOP is not lined up uniformly on the issue. Sen. Greg Ball, for instance, is a hydrofracking skeptic. “In 2010, we were able to pass a moratorium and that moratorium was a bipartisan moratorium,” said Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins at a news conference earlier today. “There are people actually on both sides of the aisle who actually believe there is nothing wrong with having more time to study the issue.” Whether the bill comes to the floor is another matter I believe if this comes to the floor, we have a moratorium. I believe we can pass it with more than 32. The bill backed by Sen. Tony Avella, D-Queens, would provide for a moratorium on fracking until May 15, 2015.

The state has allowed multiple self-imposed deadlines to develop regulations and a permitting process for high-volume hydrofracking to pass. The state Department of Health commissioner, Nirav Shah, is currently conducting a study into the health effects on fracking. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has insisted he’ll base his decision on fracking on the scientific evidence. But the issue remains a polarizing one for elected officials, with opinion polls showing little daylight between supporters and opponents of hydrofracking. “I think it’s important that each of the houses, in addition to the governor, be very, very clear that we are interested in knowing that is necessary to know about fracking before we move forward,” Stewart-Cousins said.

Scott Reif, a spokesman for Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos, said in a statement that the Cuomo administration to come to a decision as quickly as possible. “We continue to believe that the science should trump the politics, and that the Cuomo administration should wrap up their thorough decision-making process as expeditiously as possible,” Reif said.

http://capitaltonightny.ynn.com/2013/05/senate-dems-push-fracking-ban/

[Buzz Clik]

1. NY could go a long way by passing a bunch of really good regs.

The ban is just goofy. Too much money in the ground for that to last.

Get the drillers to disclose the composition of the fracking fluids; recycle produced water for more fracking; monitor methane leaks; better inspections and high standards on casings.

[hrmjustin]

2. I agree that if the ban does not work out that this state should put some really good regulations

in. It is not good when your water coming from the facet can go up in flames.