In February, Buffalo became the second city in the nation to ban hydrofracking, as a response to concerns over possible negative impacts of the technique used for extracting natural gas. In November, the New York state Assembly passed a temporary moratorium on hydrofracking to allow for studies to be conducted. With the moratorium ending May 15, some communities are considering if they should follow Buffalo’s lead.
Vast portions of western and central New York sit atop the Marcellus Shale formation, which contains large reserves of natural gas. The oil and gas industry claims that hydrofracking will be a panacea to the economic woes of the region and that thousands of jobs will be created. These projections are based on studies funded by the natural gas industry, which has enormous stakes in hydrofracking. Studies not funded by the gas industry reach different conclusions, namely that while the practice may bring a short-term boom, it would be followed by a long-term bust. In the long run, if hydrofracking comes to upstate New York, the region may end up worse off economically than it is now.