NEW YORK (Sputnik) — Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is officially prohibited in the state of New York because of the harm it causes to public health and the environment, Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens said in a statement.
“After years of exhaustive research and examination of the science and facts, prohibiting high-volume hydraulic fracturing is the only reasonable alternative," Martens said on Monday.
Fracking injects high-pressure water, sand and chemicals into underground shale formations to extract oil and natural gas. An average well uses of 1.5 million gallons of water and creates wastewater that fracking practitioners must dispose.
Today @NYSDEC officially prohibited high-volume hydraulic fracturing in #NYS: http://t.co/sMLU0vjGVt
— NYSDEC (@NYSDEC) 29 июня 2015
New York’s decision comes after a seven-year review by the DEC concluded that hydraulic-fracturing poses significant adverse impacts to land, air, water, natural resources and a significant impact to public health.
“This decision is consistent with DEC’s mission to conserve, improve and protect our state’s natural resources, and to enhance the health, safety and welfare of the people of the state.”
In November 2010, New York imposed a statewide freeze on hydraulic fracturing to allow time for environmentalists to study the effects of the practice.
