The New York State Water Rangers, a group of environmental organizations that oppose hydraulic fracturing, are encouraged that Gov. Andrew Cuomo did not include revenue from hydrofracking in his budget, or add money for increased staff to process fracking permits. Here is their statement:
“Governor Cuomo has clearly taken his foot off the gas pedal and appears to be taking to heart the states obligation to conduct a thorough environmental review before deciding whether to proceed with industrial gas development by means of fracking in New York. By not including industry-exaggerated fracking revenue or ramping up agency staff to process drilling permits, the Governor’s budget proposal signals that hes not rushing to judgment and is giving the Department of Environmental Conservation the time necessary to review and respond to the more than 40,000 comments the agency has received on the state’s fracking proposals.
The New York Water Rangers are encouraged by the executive budget proposal and Governor Cuomo’s recent statements on fracking, which demonstrate he’s adopted a more responsible approach to considering the issue.”