New York Proposes Ban on Fracking In New York City, Syracuse Watersheds

ALBANY, N.Y.—The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) proposed regulations in September to ban hydraulic fracturing in the New York City and Syracuse watersheds and to establish limits on fracking throughout the state.

The proposed rules, which are subject to public comment, would ban fracking within 500 feet of the state’s 18 primary aquifers and within 4,000 feet of an unfiltered surface water supply watershed (189 DER A-9, 9/29/11).

They also would require that natural gas companies disclose the chemical additives used in fracking, but allow for a trade secret exemption under certain circumstances. The ...