“Last night, the New York State Assembly passed legislation that takes another important step forward in protecting New York City’s drinking water. The ‘Hydrofracking’ (hydraulic fracturing) Moratorium bill, which is similar to a companion bill passed in the State Senate in August, prohibits granting permits for horizontal drilling which utilizes hydraulic fracturing in New York until May 15, 2011. It is the first time any state in the country has passed any kind of moratorium on this gas drilling technique used by natural gas companies.

“Taking this monumental step for the environment, the state placed the welfare of its citizens above the interests of environmentally harmful businesses. As accounts of contaminated water, soil and air due to hydraulic fracturing come in from across the country, New York is in a unique position to show much-needed leadership on this issue.

“The eyes of the country are focused on New York and whether we will be the first state to use truly objective and comprehensive scientific analysis to inform policymaking regarding hydraulic fracturing. The moratorium will allow time for such analysis to be commenced, analysis that we are confident will affirm absolutely our contention that hydraulic fracturing should never be done within New York City’s upstate unfiltered water supply watershed. We believe the logic behind enacting the moratorium is overwhelmingly convincing, and we urge Governor Paterson to sign this important legislation.”