The Department of Environmental Conservation regulates the
development and production of oil and gas resources in New York State. The
development of a potentially significant gas resource in the Marcellus Shale
uses horizontal drilling and a high-volume hydraulic fracturing technique known
as "slick water fracturing." This technique requires large volumes of
water and requires further review under the State Environmental Quality Review
Act ("SEQRA") before any well permits can be issued.
In 2009 the NY state DEC released a draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Study (SGEIS) to specifically address hydraulic fracturing. The home page for all things SGEIS is here.
In December 2010, Governor Paterson ordered DEC to conduct further environmental review to
ensure that all environmental and public health impacts are mitigated
or avoided and to present this information to the public for further
review.
In Sept. 2011 the DEC released the Revised Draft SGEIS
In November 2012 the DEC released proposed Fracking regulations
Status: the DEC is awaiting a full report from the Department of Health before completing the SGEIS. High volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing is not allowed, although vertical wells may use fracturing techniques. There is no state-wide moratorium on drilling, although a growing number of communities are enacting moratoria and bans to protect their drinking water, air, soil, and property values.
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