New York judge upholds fracking ban in towns

February 22, 2012 by legitgov

New York judge upholds fracking ban in towns 21 Feb 2012 In a blow to the oil and gas industry, a judge has ruled small towns in New York have the authority to ban drilling - including the controversial method known as fracking - within their borders. In a ruling released late Tuesday, state Supreme Court Justice Phillip Rumsey held that the Ithaca suburb of Dryden's recent ban on gas drilling falls within the authority of local governments to regulate local land use. The case is Anschutz Exploration Corp. v. Town of Dryden, New York State Supreme Court, Tompkins County No. 2011-0902.