Currently a moratorium imposed by former New York Governor Patterson prevents the new horizontal drilling technique from being used, pending development of regulations by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation. The national Sierra Club states that it will only support this new technology if it can be proven safe.

On June 6, 2011 the New York State Assembly voted to extend the moratorium on hydrofracking for natural gas for one-year period until June 1, 2012. The approval vote of 91 to 46 was meant to ensure that the industrial practice could be further studied in New York State. At this time the State Senate has not considered a similar measure.

Please contact your New York State Senator at http://www.nysenate.gov/senators and ask her/him to please vote for a moratorium.