New York court upholds ban on fracking

“This is really the kiss of death for drilling in New York,” West said in an interview. “No prudent operator is going to invest in leases in New York if those leases are at the mercy of a zoning ban.”…

New York sits on the northern edge of the Marcellus Shale formation, which may hold enough natural gas to supply the U.S. for about seven years, according to the U.S. Energy Department. U.S. states from Wyoming to West Virginia with shale are encouraging so-called fracking even as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency studies the effects on drinking water and may adopt nationwide regulations.

David J. Clinton, Middlefield’s town counsel, said members of the town’s board are “elated and delighted” by the decision.

“There’s a very strong belief here in upstate New York that home rule should trump in most cases and that’s what we’re seeing so far,” Clinton said in an interview. “There’s clearly going to be disappointed people. It’s a tough issue.”