Fracking has been banned in New York State since 2008. Then-Governor David Paterson imposed a moratorium on the controversial technique— which fractures shale rock using high pressure, specially treated water to release gas trapped inside—citing the need for further study of health and environmental risks. After six years and a multiplicity of such studies the results seem to indicate that fracking can be done safely—but often is not. And that is conclusive enough to allow the current governor, Andrew Cuomo, to officially ban the practice, according to The New York Times.
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