fracking in new york green light?

New York To Allow Fracking; State To Provide Guidelines After Labor Day


Posted: 08/20/2012 9:37 am Updated: 08/20/2012 12:50 pm


Andrew Cuomo, NY News, Video, Cuomo Fracking, Fracking, Fracking Water, Governor Cuomo, Fracking, Fracking, New York Fracking, New York Fracking Ban, New York Fracking Moratorium, New York Hydraulic Fracturing, Slideexpand, New York News
.









A New Yorkers Against Fracking rally joined by actor Mark Ruffalo in Albany.


Despite ongoing protests in hopes to ban hydraulic fracturing in New York, CBS reports the state is about to green-light the controversial practice. An announcement detailing the plan's regulations is expected soon.

The decision follows a moratorium on drilling permits set in 2008 in order to conduct environmental tests to ensure the safety of residents.

The practice, more commonly referred to as fracking, permits gas drilling of toxic chemicals deep into the ground to extract natural resources.

Many environmental experts say drilling carries a high risk of poisoning clean waters, and believe the threat of contamination far outweighs any potential economic benefits drilling may bring.

Some also say the problems plaguing beleaguered farms in economically distressed areas will only be exacerbated after fracking takes off.

But proponents of fracking believe otherwise.

"[The Marcellus Shale Formation] may hold enough natural gas to supply the U.S. for two decades," Penn State geosciences professor Terry Engelder told BusinessWeek, referring to the gas-rich rock formations in Pennsylvania and the bordering New York counties.