With Governor David Paterson’s Executive Order on December 11th, 2010, New York became the first state in the country to put a formal timeout on the dangerous gas drilling method known as hydraulic fracturing or "fracking." The moratorium was won thanks to an outpouring of grassroots action from ordinary citizens - phone calls, emails and lobby visits. Thousands of New Yorkers spoke up, and decision-makers heard us!  This is a major victory for the citizens of New York, and for people across the country (and the world!) who are fighting this destructive practice.

Unfortunately, when he issued his Executive Order, Governor Paterson excluded one type of fracking from the freeze.  The gas industry has been pushing hard to convince us that vertical hydraulic fracturing is a completely different animal from horizontal hydraulic fracturing, despite the fact that the most notorious case of fracking contamination was caused by vertical drilling!

In Dimock, PA a $12.5 million pipeline is currently being constructed to bring municipal water to the families of Carter Road, whose water was rendered undrinkable—flammable and full of toxic chemicals—by vertical fracking wells owned and operated by Cabot Oil and Gas. 

Vertical fracking is already happening on a limited basis in New York, and the industry hopes to create confusion in order to sidestep stricter regulations and public scrutiny.  If left in place, the "Paterson Loophole" could lead to severe devastation as the industry rushes to drill vertical wells now before the public wakes up!