A New York State judge ruled on Tuesday, February 21, that the town of Dryden in Tompkins County can ban natural gas drilling within its boundaries. Read more about this in the 2/22/12 New York Times.What does this mean? In the absence (so far) of statewide or nationwide legislation that would ban hydrofracking, the town of Dryden in upstate New York has established a precedent, creating it's own legislative protection. Expect to see other towns following suit.
In the meantime, activists are still working to get Governor Cuomo to pass statewide legislation to protect all New Yorkers from the dangers of hydrofracking. Those of us in NYC, while not likely to be next door to a hydrofracking site, will have our water supply and food supply from upstate New York affected by the many toxins associated with this drilling process.
Comments