New York faces an important choice: take action now to protect our water, air, and communities, or use a dirty method to develop another dirty fossil fuel and put the health of our families and our shared environment at risk.

  
In New York State, oil and gas drillng pollution are already a fact of life. And this pollution will only get worse if industrial gas drilling by means of high volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” begins at the scale proposed by the gas industry and the Department of Environmental Conservation.

  
Our elected officials, including Governor Andrew Cuomo and every member of the State Legislature, are making key decisions about fracking right now. That’s why the New York Water Rangers are watching state leaders’ every move and involving New Yorkers when it matters most.

  
The Water Rangers think our elected officials should serve the interests of New Yorkers, not oil and gas companies. And if fracking is permitted, the oil and gas industry should be forced to follow the most stringent and comprehensive standards and be required by law to play by the same rules as every other industry. Drillers must also be held accountable for any pollution and damage they cause.

  
Governor Cuomo, legislators, and agency officials have said science will be the basis for New York’s final decision on fracking and whether to develop shale gas. Working together, the New York Water Rangers will make sure they keep their word.

  
There’s currently a hold on new permits for fracking—but that could change when New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation completes its review of the process, possibly as soon as this spring.

  
Click here for a timeline of New York’s key moments in fracking.

  
Before any decision is made regarding if and when fracking will be permitted in New York State, our leaders must:

• Fully assess the public health and economic impacts of drilling so that decisions are based on a true picture of costs, not just presumed benefits.
    
• Change outdated regulations to match the realities of modern, industrial gas development in new formations.
    
• Pass a law to ensure fracking waste is covered under the state’s hazardous waste laws, and subject to the rules and regulations governing the proper transport, tracking, and disposal of hazardous drilling waste.
    
• Uphold the right of municipalities to protect their land and quality of life by restricting or prohibiting drilling through local zoning.
    
• Require drillers to fully inform the public about the chemicals used in fracking and prevent the use of the most toxic chemicals.
    
• Support and promote the development of truly clean energy jobs and consumer choices (like solar and wind power).