Coalition Goes To Court To Force Fracking Decision

A Broome County-based group representing landowners is suing New York State over the delay in developing regulations to allow high-volume hydraulic fracturing for natural gas.

The Joint Landowners Coalition of New York wants Governor Andrew Cuomo to release records related to his administration's fracking environmental review process.

The organization wants the state Department of Environmental Conservation to be required to finalize its review.

The coalition contends the agency's referral of the environmental review to the state Department of Health was improper.

The lawsuit is being filed in state Supreme Court in Albany.

Coalition president Dan Fitzsimmons could not be reached for comment Friday.

One prominent fracking opponent contends the coalition's legal action is a waste of taxpayers' dollars.

Isaac Silberman-Gorn of Citizen Action of New York described the move as a "frivolous lawsuit."

In a statement, Silberman-Gorn said the "evidence of air and water contamination from fracking is growing every day."