New York lawmakers expand fracking ban to include liquid carbon dioxide

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday that would expand the state’s existing fracking ban by blocking natural gas drilling companies from using an extraction method that involves injecting huge amounts of liquid carbon dioxide into the ground.

The state Senate approved the legislation with some opposition from Republican lawmakers. It will now go to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is in the midst of state budget negotiations. The state Assembly passed the bill on March 12.

New York already banned hydraulic fracturing, which involves using a water-based solution to extract natural gas. But some lawmakers were quick to draft the new legislation after a Texas company sought to lease land in New York for drilling last fall. They said the company, Southern Tier Solutions, is attempting to use a loophole in the existing law by drilling with carbon dioxide instead of water.

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins told reporters during a news conference Wednesday that while she hasn’t yet discussed the legislation with the governor, she is hopeful that it will be signed into law.

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