S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6579
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
March 27, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT, COLTON, DINOWITZ, BENEDETTO,
O'DONNELL, LAVINE, ROSENTHAL, GOTTFRIED, GALEF, COOK, JAFFEE, SCHIMEL,
ROBERTS, CAHILL, MILLER -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BRENNAN,
GLICK, LENTOL, STECK, THIELE -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to establish a moratorium on high-volume hydraulic fracturing and
horizontal drilling for natural gas until all aquifers are classified
and mapped
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. a. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary,
there is hereby established a moratorium upon high-volume hydraulic
fracturing and horizontal drilling for the purpose of extracting natural
gas in the state until such time as every aquifer in the state is mapped
at a scale of 1:24,000 and classified by the United States Geological
Survey and/or the New York State Geological Survey.
b. For the purposes of this act, the following terms shall mean:
(i) "High-volume hydraulic fracturing" shall mean the fracturing of
rock by man-made, pressurized, fluid-driven fracturing techniques for
the purpose of stimulating natural gas or oil well production.
(ii) "Horizontal drilling" shall mean a vertical well which is curved
at depth to drill horizontally into natural gas-bearing rock.
(iii) "Aquifer" shall mean an underground layer of water-bearing
permeable rock or unconsolidated material such as gravel, sand or silt,
from which groundwater can be extracted.
c. Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, the moratorium
established by subdivision a of this section shall not be rescinded
until the department of environmental conservation:
(i) receives and adopts the aquifer maps and classifications; and
(ii) proposes and adopts requirements, procedures and regulations that
are protective of these aquifers including, but not limited to:
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06091-01-5
A. 6579 2
(A) drilling procedures that will prevent the escape of any drilling
fluids into an aquifer;
(B) continuous water testing of affected aquifers for contamination
that may result from drilling operations;
(C) recordkeeping of all water testing results; and
(D) plans for containment and remediation of any contamination caused
by drilling operations.
S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.