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Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D/WF-125) announced her support today of another year-long moratorium of hydraulic fracturing in New York State. Lifton, a longtime critic of "fracking," is co-sponsoring Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee Chairman Robert Sweeney's bill that would extend the moratorium on drilling through June 1st, 2013.

Lifton and other supporters of the bill believe that this will allow for a more thorough, unrushed analysis of the implications fracking could have on New York communities.

“Despite industry claims to the contrary, I still have grave concerns about the ability for drilling to be done safely in New York. The fragmented SGEIS process has not adequately grappled with fracking's implications for public health, waste water treatment and a large number of other glaring issues," said Lifton. “We only have one chance to get it right on this, and with blowouts, spills, and other accidents being known to occur, I still see it as much-too-risky an activity to allow in New York.”

In addition, Lifton will continue to push for home rule, which would allow local governments to decide for themselves whether hydraulic fracturing should be allowed in their communities. Her local control bill passed the Assembly last session.

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