Shale Rules Will Affect Rochester Rocks

By Bob Smith

Rochester, NY – The State of New York is now working on adopting new rules for drilling natural gas, and could release them later this year.

When those rules are made available, they could impact more than just the so-called Marcellus Shale formation in the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier, according to Katharine Nadeau of Environmental Advocates of New York.

"The gas that's trapped in this rock in the Marcellus Shale also lies within the Utica Shale which extends all the way up to Lake Ontario ... and captures parts of Central and Western New York as well."

Nadeau says the Utica Shale region includes Monroe County.

Although it may not be as rich as the Marcellus Shale area to the south, Nadeau says the Utica Shale's potential is significant, and any new rules could impact both gas drilling and ground water supplies in the Rochester metropolitan region.