In an unexpected move, in the wee morning hours yesterday the New York State Senate approved a moratorium on the issuance of any permits for gas drilling in the state using horizontal hydrofracking until May 15, 2011. The vote was 48 yea, 9 nay, an overwhelming bipartisan showing. The moratorium bill now needs to go back to the Assembly for final passage when it reconvenes on Sept. 15th. But the Senate vote was the big hurdle.
The moratorium is shorter than anti-drilling activists had originally hoped for. Initially they were pushing for a moratorium until after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency completes its study of hydrofracking, not expected until sometime in 2012. A month ago, it was thought that any moratorium bill was unlikely, lost in the dysfunctional rubble of the Senate's budget maneuverings, so the 11th hour passage came as a pleasant surprise.
The Senate action reflects growing citizen concern in New York about hydrofracking, and that this is not a peripheral issue where lawmaker votes can slip under the radar. Kudos to Catskill Mountainkeeper for keeping this front and center with New Yorkers. For the first time I have some real hope that New York may have some political backbone left, and will stand up to Big Energy to ensure that if drilling does come to New York, it will be on our terms, and not on terms worked out in back rooms between Dick Cheney and the energy hacks.
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