ALBANY, NY (Erie News Now)-- ABOUT A DECADE AGO, THE STATE BANNED HIGH-VOLUME HYDRAULIC FRACTURING FOR NATURAL GAS.

BUT NOW-- AN OUT-OF-STATE COMPANY SEEKS TO USE LIQUIFIED CARBON DIOXIDE TO FRACK THE SOUTHERN TIER’S SHALE FORMATIONS, AND EXTRACT METHANE TRAPPED DEEP UNDERGROUND.

NEW legislation WOULD EXPAND THE STATE’S FRACKING BAN TO INCLUDE CO2 PRACTICES.

THE BILL’S SPONSOR, SEN. LEA WEBB (D-52nd Senate District) SAID THIS BILL IS AN IMPORTANT STEP TO NOT ONLY PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT BUT PUBLIC HEALTH.  

“For residents in the Southern Tier and I would also say across the state, having our water ways exposed to toxic chemicals whether you live in the Southern Tier, here in the Capital District, Buffalo, New York City, we all need access to clean water,” said Sen. Webb. 

SOME REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS ARGUEd THERE ISN’T ENOUGH SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON CO2 FRACKING AND THEY WORRY ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS THIS LEGISLATION COULD HAVE ESPECIALLY FOR THE SOUTHERN TIER.   

“It's nothing but an economic negative to New Yorkers and it's not based in science. It should be something that should be being pursued to see whether it's feasible, to see whether it's reasonable. We don’t even know whether it's feasible,” said Sen. Tom O’Mara (R-Big Flats). 

O’MARA ADDed NATURAL GAS EXPLORATION WOULD BRING WEALTH TO SOUTHERN TIER COMMUNITIES.  

“That would be a huge boon to businesses in particular manufacturers and we need those manufacturing jobs and we’re seeing manufacturers flee New York because of the cost of doing business and these types of restrictions on their ability to do business,” (14 seconds).  

IF SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR THIS LEGISLATION WOULD TAKE EFFECT immediately.