Tom Wilber

Bucky Snyder, 71, stands on the plot of his land in Lockwood where propane fracking has been proposed.
(Photo: ANDREW THAYER / STAFF PHOTO)

Opponents of fracking rally outside the Empire State Plaza Convention Center before Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State address in January in Albany.
(Photo: Associated Press)

In certain places in New York, Wednesday's news of the state's ban on fracking inspired public celebration.

It’s settled. There will be no fracking in New York communities such as Dryden and Middlefield – serene and scenic places that have passed rules that find shale gas development incompatible with local land use ordinances.

Discharge from this abandoned well killed an acre of vegetation in Oneida County

The debate over natural gas development in New York has mostly been about the future. But residents living over New York’s abundant gas reserves must also figure out what to do about the past.

The leadership of a group of landowners in Tioga County, New York has reached an agreement with gas drillers to begin developing the Marcellus Shale using liquid propane as a fracking agent.

Brokers of the deal, between eCorp, GasFrac Energy Services, and the Tioga County Landowners Association, believe that fracking with natural gas is not included under a New York state moratorium that prevents drillers from using high volume hydraulic fracturing. The moratorium was put in place in 2008 due to environmental concerns, pending the completion of a review by the state DEC.