Hydraulic Fracking Lessons
Learn from PA, Don't Frack with New York
Published Februaay 18, 2011: HuffingtonPost.com
Jerrold Parker, Partner-Parker Waichman LLP
If you've ever seen homeowners in Pennsylvania set their tap water aflame as it pours from the faucet, you know the dangers of hydraulic fracturing. These are risks to which -- until recently -- New York has turned a blind eye.
So it's encouraging to see New York municipalities like Buffalo taking it upon themselves to ban the practice within their borders. While this is largely symbolic move, it sends a powerful message to Albany -- that the state must heed the hazards of "hydrofracking" and take aggressive steps to protect the state's most precious resource -- drinking water.
Governor Cuomo must make a bold departure from the tepid regulatory efforts of the previous administration. Recently, outgoing-Governor Paterson imposed a 7-month moratorium on the practice, vetoing a broader bill passed by the state legislature. But this so-called anti-fracking win largely rung hollow.
Read More: Fracking in New York Hits a Snag
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