Final Rules on Fracking Still Pending

By Rachel Ward with Ryan Morden

Albany, NY – It's been months since a public comment period closed, to let New Yorkers weigh in on plans to permit hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale natural gas formation. But the state still hasn't released its final rules to govern where and how speculators can drill.

According to the environmental advocacy group Citizens' Campaign for the Environment, that's a good thing. Adrienne Esposito is executive director of the campaign.

"The reason we say that is that the DEC [Department of Environmental Conservation] received over 14,000 comments on their draft environmental impact statement. And in order for the DEC to look at those in a meaningful and comprehensive way, and reevaluate their draft, it's gonna take time. And this is not a project that should be rushed."

The new regulations could be finished by fall, according to DEC commissioner Pete Grannis. If that's the case, drilling would likely begin in New York by spring or summer of next year.

Hydrofracturing, or fracking, involves pumping millions of gallons of water, combined with chemicals and sand, into the ground to extract natural gas.

Some environmentalists are concerned that the process could contaminate drinking water.