Senator Krueger Speaks at Press Conference for S.8357, Banning CO2 Fracking in New York State [Video]

NATALIE MERCHANT, ADVOCATES, & LEGISLATORS RALLIED IN THE CAPITOL TO BAN CO2 FRACKING & DRILLING FOR GAS

Advocates held a rally and a lobby day in the Capitol to build on the significant momentum behind legislation to ban CO2 fracking and drilling, calling for a floor vote

Albany, NY – 100 advocates rallied and held a lobby day in the Capitol in support of legislation (A8866/ S8357) to ban drilling and fracking for natural gas using carbon dioxide (CO2). The bill to amend the state’s fracking ban law to prohibit use of CO2 to drill and extract natural gas and oil has been swiftly progressing through committees in the State Legislature and is now heading to the Senate and Assembly floors. The rally and lobby day build on the significant momentum behind the bill. Advocates are calling on the legislative leaders to bring the bill to the floor for a vote.

Advocates from across the state, representing environmental, grassroots, and public health groups, were joined by acclaimed singer/songwriter Natalie Merchant, who was prominent in the anti-fracking fight a decade ago, and actor Tim Guinee.

The campaign has emerged and grown rapidly in response to news that the fossil fuel industry is pushing an experimental, dangerous new method of shale gas extraction Since the fall of 2023, the gas industry (by a company called “Southern Tier CO2 to Clean Energy Solutions”) has been asking thousands of Southern Tier landowners to lease their land to extract gas by injecting carbon dioxide into the Marcellus Shale formation. The Shale formation underlies much of the state and the industry may target the Southern Tier first as a starting point for more of the state. Currently, the state’s law banning fracking prohibits the use of water to extract the gas. The industry’s aims to get around the state’s fracking ban by using CO2, but it poses many of the same threats to our water, health, and climate.