Olive town board says no to fracking
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ULSTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- No fracking for now. Members of the Olive town board reached that decision unanimously at a town board meeting Tuesday evening.
The board's decision places a moratorium on the exploration, extraction, disposal and storage of natural gas within town limits for a year.
The hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" of natural gas from underground rock has divided communities all across the state. Some favoring the economic opportunity it might present, while others opposing it for its potential harmful effects against the environment.
"In our view, you know, this has been going on for a long time, but we've only really been into in for the last six months. And you get reports from Pennsylvania and all over that don't sound so good. We would like to follow through on it and do it with more facts," said Town of Olive Supervisor Berndt Leifeld.
Town officials say the temporary ban also includes the transportation of any hydro-fracking byproduct on roads traveling through the Town of Olive.