Hydraulic fracturing is banned statewide, but county legislators want to ensure none of the waste produced from the natural gas extraction method enters local landfills.
New York's Albany County legislators on Tuesday, April 13, unanimously passed Local Law “D” for 2014, which bans the disposal of natural gas waste or oil waste at any solid waste management facility within the county. One Republican lawmaker contested the breadth of the law before voting in favor. Environmental advocates rallied for proposal before its passage claiming such disposal would expose residents to potential health risks.
There is no evidence, or belief, hydraulic fracturing waste has been disposed at any landfill within the county. The law serves as a preventative measure from such activity ever occurring, according to Legislator Bryan Clenahan, D-Guilderland, who spearheaded the bill.