Hydraulic Fracturing, 'Fracking,' Banned In Buffalo, NY

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The city of Buffalo, New York, banned the natural gas drilling technique of hydraulic fracturing on Tuesday, a largely symbolic vote that demonstrates concern about potential harm to groundwater from mining an abundant energy source.

The city council voted 9-0 to prohibit natural gas extraction including the process known as "fracking" in which chemicals, sand and water are blasted deep into the earth to fracture shale formations and allow gas to escape.

The ordinance also bans storing, transferring, treating or disposing of fracking waste within the city.

No such drilling projects had been planned in Buffalo, located in New York state, though city officials were concerned that fracking waste water from nearby operations was reaching the city sewer system.

Backers of the measure hope it will help build pressure against fracking, which environmentalists say endangers groundwater as a result of leaking chemicals.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has enacted a similar ban.

Industry supporters say fracking is proven to be safe and can provide a much-needed domestic energy source. For an index of shale gas companies, double-click on.

The Marcellus shale formation underlies much of Pennsylvania and parts of surrounding states including western New York. Geologists estimate it could meet U.S. natural gas demand for 20 years or more.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is studying the impact of fracking and on Tuesday submitted a draft of its study to the agency's Science Advisory Board for review.

Initial findings from the study are expected to be made public by the end of 2012.

Also on Tuesday, New York's acting Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens told the state legislature the agency's guidelines for allowing high-volume hydraulic fracturing in New York would be completed by about June 1, according to his spokesman.

The agency will then allow 30 days for public comment, the spokesman said.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta and Edith Honan; Editing by David Gregorio)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[levresamant]

02:16 PM on 02/13/2011

Finally, a city with the guts to tell Fracking to go to hell.

[ICIP40]

02:04 AM on 02/13/2011

I'm sorry to have a different ideas than most, but frack away in Buffalo, it has city water, from lake Erie, not well water for miles around. I am from akron NY, I DO know what bad water is, from having a chicken farmer who parked a pile of you know what across the street a few years ago making my water, yellow, to brown, the same water we used for showers and coffee and such, neeedless to say we had a talk, they were so nice to bring us water to drink as our city water line was coming through so we could hook up. My point is, talk to the people involved, perhaps there is a solution, maybe fracking may bring gases into the water, but I think some of the claims of strange chemicals and gases in the water are from people who have had problems because they are close to a old landfill, I had a friend in Chaffee NY years ago who said we now have mountains where we once had valleys. If you have lived in the western NY area for the last 20 years, some of your trash is probaly there. So try to be resonable, life is short, it should not be about fighting all the time, perhaps you will make a new friend as I did.

[levresamant]

03:12 PM on 02/13/2011

SO that is justification to poison water tables and the air and the homes and the lives of Americans? Are you out of your mind?

[SallySassalot]

03:41 AM on 02/12/2011

I can't promote this enough: http://www­.gaslandth­emovie.com­/

When you're lighting your water on fire you'll realize how truly "safe" this procedure is.

[levresamant]

03:13 PM on 02/13/2011

I am watching this movie today for about the 10th time and it never ceases to amaze me how nice Americans are about what energy companies are doing to this country. America needs to get pissed, very very very very pissed.

[Lloyd Cata]

05:51 PM on 02/11/2011

New York has a incalculable treasure in its fresh water. To jeopardise that for even 100 years of energy is ignorant and illogical. Mankind cannot live without clean water, but we can learn to live on less energy.

The people of the gulf coast made the wrong choice many years ago and now cannot escape the consequences of that decision. When a gallon of fresh water costs more than a gallon of gas guess who will be in the water business?

[levresamant]

02:33 PM on 02/13/2011

Just remember, that if the day comes when energy companies are allowed to destroy your water, it is because you the people did not care enough, and because your corrupt politicians allowed it to happen until you forced them to make it stop.

[Dharma Dog Pictures]

04:16 PM on 02/11/2011

WATCH the academy award nominee for documentary GASLAND
http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/
and you will realize that FRACTURING SHOULD BE BANNED WORLDWIDE!! WE ARE POISONING THE BIOSYSTEM BEYOND ITS ABILITY TO COPE!!!!! WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! WAKE UP

[PRR Fan]

11:10 AM on 02/11/2011

Pennsylvania thanks you, Buffalo! Less investment there is more investment for us.

[Machinistscott]

09:37 AM on 02/10/2011

I saw T. Boone Pickens claim that fracking was harmless the other day on The Daily Show.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-january-27-2011/t--boone-pickens
Of course he has tons of money involved so I'm going to believe him.

Anybody up for a game of pyramid?

[Jj]

09:17 AM on 02/10/2011

Oops please delete last post it was meant for a different article; I will cut and paste it there. thanks

[Jj]

09:16 AM on 02/10/2011

lol I know I'm not the only one; when I saw the original headline: "WATCH: Teen Sleeps With Tiger", I didn't look closely at the pic and my first thought was "Tiger Woods has a sex tape?" I felt foolish until I realized that HuffPost probably did that on purpose, tabloid that they're becoming now. (and likely to get worse under aol). But, shame on me for reading a tabloid article, and kudos to HuffPost for their sensationalism and ability to attract my attention! ;-)

[Cassandrawept]

07:14 AM on 02/10/2011

When people can destroy your property rights by damaging the quality of the water on your land, then it's time to stop them.

[Toddynho]

06:36 AM on 02/10/2011

About fracking time.

[Diver992]

03:15 AM on 02/10/2011

Why not ban the practice completely throughout the US instead of making largely empty, symbolic gestures?

[PRR Fan]

11:11 AM on 02/11/2011

While we're at it, let's also ban oil drilling, coal mining, the development of all natural resources and see how that works!

[Diver992]

10:50 PM on 02/11/2011

Great idea! Why don't you set the example?

[SallySassalot]

03:42 AM on 02/12/2011

Hey, I'm for that. Wind and Solar, baby! Wind and Solar!

[SkyCap]

12:32 AM on 02/10/2011

"Backers of the measure hope it will help build PRESSURE against fracking...."

Man, at least they didn't write that the citizens were practically QUAKING with fear at the prospect of local fracking..."

[Danek Greori]

12:10 AM on 02/10/2011

I'm very proud of Buffalo for this maneuver. Fracking and the environmental and human concerns that it presents were actually brought to my attention by an episode of CSI. Which I guess is a good example of how a prime time fictional crime drama can help inform people about important real-life issues.