Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a method of extracting natural gas from deep underground by injecting fluid at high pressure to fracture the surrounding rock. New York State initially banned high-volume hydraulic fracturing in 2014 due to environmental and health concerns and it banned it permanently in the 2021 state budget.
Fracking has been a contentious issue for years. New York State is now moving to update this ban to include not just water-based fracking but also methods that use liquified carbon dioxide. This legislative effort aims to prevent companies from circumventing the existing ban by using alternative extraction methods.
The debate has resurfaced as some companies propose using carbon dioxide to extract oil and gas, claiming environmental benefits. However, experts and activists argue that this method still poses significant risks and distracts from the transition to renewable energy sources.
If the measure goes through it would immediately block a Texas company that wants to use the method as an alternative to hydraulic fracturing with a water-based solution.
The bill passed in the state Assembly on March 12. The state Senate is expected to vote and pass the legislation on Wednesday.
The company, Southern Tier Solutions, says on its website that it wants to use carbon captured from power plants, rather than water, to extract natural gas in New York’s Southern Tier, where the underground rock formations make more traditional drilling methods unprofitable.
Company officials and its president, Bryce P. Phillips said the carbon dioxide would be captured and piped from power plants in Pennsylvania, and once injected, would either stay underground or in pipes to be reused for more fracking.
“No methane is released into the atmosphere through this process. No carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere,” Phillips reiterated.
Opponents of fracking dismiss Phillips’ assurances and instead maintain that the attempt to use liquid carbon dioxide is just as hazardous to the environment and that companies that want to use are simply looking for a way to cynically circumvent the ban.
