Chairman Wolfe Seeks Fracking Moratorium

New City, NY  (March 6, 2014) – The Rockland County Legislature approved a resolution sponsored by Chairman Alden H. Wolfe urging Governor Cuomo to extend the state moratorium on hydraulic fracturing and to continue to study the public health and environmental impacts.

Hydraulic fracturing, also known as “fracking”, is a controversial process used to extract underground resources such as natural gas.  The process involves drilling deep horizontal wells in areas of shale and injecting massive quantities of water and chemical additives into the wells to fracture the shale and release the underground resource. Proponents of fracking say the process would accommodate the high demand for natural gas and provide an economic boost for New York State, while opponents are concerned that the practice is harmful to watersheds and municipal and private well-based drinking water.

Chairman Wolfe said, “We support economic development that is approached in an environmentally responsible manner.  Extensive research and study is necessary before our state approves a process that can   have such a devastating environmental impact.   Significant attention should be given to establishing methods of energy conservation and transition to renewable sources, both economic and environmentally sound practices.”

Chairman Wolfe and Legislator Harriet Cornell, Chair of the Legislature’s Environmental Committee, will sponsor a committee discussion on fracking and invite subject matter experts to address the economic, technical and environmental aspects of fracking.