Democrats in Monroe County Legislature along with several environmental activists are urging the county to pass legislation to ban hydraulic fracturing and related activities.
Democrats are encouraged that one of their colleagues across the aisle, Legislator Joseph Carbone, R-Irondequoit, submitted a memorializing resolution supporting a statewide ban on fracking.
Democratic Legislator Justin Wilcox, of Brighton, says Carbone’s action could suggest there's support from their Republican counterparts to have enough votes in imposing a fracking moratorium in the county.
"So we're taking the opportunity to see if we can get some folks from the other side of the aisle to have them sit down with us and work on a bill that would be acceptable to both sides."
Wilcox introduced legislation last year to ban the treatment of fracking wastewater or solid material in Monroe County. That bill is currently tabled.
Resident in the Towns of Rush Henrietta, Mendon, Perinton, Penfield and Brighton along with the City of Rochester have moratoriums on hydrofracking and some of the ancillary activities.