New York governor halts 'fracking,' but environmentalists see a 'loophole'

New York Gov. David Paterson signed an executive order this weekend temporarily halting a controversial natural-gas drilling practice known as hydraulic fracturing in order to give the state more time to study the practice.

But, in signing the executive order, Paterson also vetoed legislation approved by the New York State Assembly that would have imposed a wider ban on natural-gas drilling.

“Fracking,” as the practice is often called, is a drilling process in which large amounts of water, sand and chemicals are injected into the ground to loosen deposits of natural gas.

Fracking has become a hot-button issue in Washington in recent months. Environmentalists say the chemicals are harmful to human health and the environment, while industry downplays their effect. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is conducting a study on the practice, and House and Senate lawmakers have proposed legislation to give the EPA authority over the practice and force industry to disclose the amount and type of chemicals they use.

New York is seen by many as one of the main fracking battlegrounds. The Marcellus Shale, a rock formation with large swaths of natural gas, runs through much of the state.

While Paterson ratcheted back the state assembly's more stringent fracking ban, environmentalists nonetheless praised the move.

“With today's action, Governor Paterson has acknowledged that fracking poses serious threats to our health and safe drinking water — but his moratorium only protects us so much,” Kate Sindling, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, wrote in a blog post on the group's website.

But Sindling also raised concerns about a potential “loophole” in the executive order — because the executive order bans only horizontal drilling, Sindling said it’s possible that natural-gas drillers could increase their reliance on vertical drilling.

"[I]ndustry has also threatened to drill vertical wells in lieu of horizontal wells," she wrote. "State law mandates that only one horizontal well can be drilled per square mile, whereas 16 vertical wells could occupy the same area, carrying with them significant additional surface disturbance and environmental impacts."