New York judge upholds fracking ban in towns
Concerns around fracking polluting the sky and water has many citizens concerned. We're taking a closer look at this interesting story from the Current community. Check it out and add your two cents:
New York judge upholds fracking ban in towns
Submitted by JanforGore
Small towns in New York can block natural-gas drilling after a state judge upheld the Town of Dryden’s ban on hydraulic fracturing. Supreme Court Justice Phillip Rumsey of Tompkins County ruled that small towns have the authority to ban drilling to regulate local land use.
Anschutz Exploration Corporation, which owns leases on more than 22,000 acres in the town and has invested $5.1 million in drilling operations there, argued the ban violated a state law designed to create uniform regulations for oil and gas drilling and encourage the extraction of those resources.
Rumsey disagreed, holding the law was not written to favor the industry, but to regulate it in such a way that "prevents waste ... and protects the rights of all persons."
"Nowhere in the legislative history (of the state oil and gas law) is there any suggestion that the legislature intended -- as argued by Anschutz -- to encourage the maximum ultimate recovery of oil and gas...or to preempt local zoning authority," Rumsey wrote.
However, Gov. Andrew Cuomo will ultimately decide if the state will allow fracking. The community shares its enthusiasm:
attilatheblond: "Great news! But I won't hold my breath that it won't get overturned. We are under corporate rule. And the extraction companies aren't going to give up until they have squeezed every dime they can out of the earth, no matter the cost to the planet."
lazloman: "Outstanding! Its about time the people got a big win! I just hope it can survive the inevitable appeals."
treewolf39: "This is good news! Now if it can only get bigger. Good clean water is way more important then natural gas or any gas!"
santis: "It's about time they started ruling in favor of the people over big oil and gas.'
Join the discussion -- or head over to the Community page for more popular stories from the community.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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Ratelrory
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We need to tell our government here in Ireland to frack off. They are thinking of hydraulic fracturing for gas in Leitrim-land of many lakes and rivers. Gasland on Current was horrific-nightmarish and a crime against humanity in
USA, when the last fish has been caught and the last river poisoned then they will realise that they can't eat money! - 3 months ago
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Ratelrory
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mynamewilliamphelps
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about FRACKING time!
- 3 months ago
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mynamewilliamphelps
