(videos added by Axis of Logic)

Hydro-Fracking in Marcellus Shale

Environmentalists call it a first step. A move by Onondaga County to restrain a drive to begin drilling for natural gas trapped below much of Central New York and the Southern Tier. Bill Carey says Onondaga County is taking steps to limit just where any drilling can take place.

ONONDAGA COUNTY, N.Y. -- It goes by the strange name of hydrofracking. Billions of cubic feet of natural gas are trapped in shale underground in the northeast. Erect a drill, pump in millions of gallons of water, hydro, and fracture the rock, frack, and it frees the gas to be pumped out.

But more and more, environmental groups are warning of hazards, especially to groundwater, fouled by the by-products of hydrofracking.

“There are a number of citizens that have had their wells ruined by methane. There are citizens that can light the water coming out of their kitchen sinks because it has so much methane,” said Joseph Heath, anti-hydrofracking activist.

Most of the wells now standing are in Pennsylvania, but there is a push to spread the drilling into New York State. Hundreds of leases are already in place for potential drilling in Onondaga County.

Which brings us to the Onondaga County Legislature and the question of how far local government can go in protecting its own environment.

Legislators on the environmental committee have voted unanimously to ban any drilling on county-owned land, sending a message, they say, that it's time to slow down and wait for clear studies on the impact of hydrofracking.

“Maybe in a rush to try to have the potential to free ourselves from certain other types of energy, we may not be looking at what the cumulative effect could be to the land around there,” said Onondaga County legislator James Corbett.

But some lawmakers want to go even further, banning drilling on privately owned land, as well.

“As I look at the number of wells and leases that have been granted for the potential of this type of process around Skaneateles Lake, I'm horrified,” said Onondaga County legislator Thomas Buckel.

For now, the county isn't sure if it has the power to expand the moratorium. Unless the state acts, environmentalists say it may be too late.

“We could very well ruin the Finger Lakes and most of New York. That's what's going on in Pennsylvania. Their streams and wells are being poisoned,” said Heath.

They worry that could soon be the case, here.

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Private Home and Water Well Reportedly Impacted by Hydrofracking Near Andover & Independence, NY

19 April 2010 — A homeowner explains how his water was impacted by hydrofracking.