Rochester, N.Y. – Councilwoman Loretta Scott has submitted the paperwork to ban hydraulic fracturing in Rochester.
The Council could vote on the moratorium by the end of the month.
Hydraulic fracturing, or hydrofracking, is a process of retrieving gas from deep below the earth’s surface using a mixture of water, chemicals and sand.
Opponents claim the procedure combined with relatively new horizontal drilling presents too great a risk to aquifers.
Supporters call fracking safe and claim it’s a reliable way to increase domestic energy supplies.
New York State is currently considering issuing permits and allowing energy companies to set up drill pads for high-volume hydraulic fracturing.
Meanwhile, several towns in our area have passed moratoriums, which prohibit fracking within their borders.
These votes are largely symbolic as energy companies have focused their attention on the Southern Tier, which sits on top of the gas-rich Marcellus Shale formation.
If passed in Rochester, the moratorium would last for 12 months.
Scott said in a press release, “While the full effects of hydrofracking are yet to be known, [I] feel it is important to take the necessary steps to ensure that all work allowed within the city is done safely and without a negative impact on the environment or on our residents.”
