A report from the New York state Health Department determined that hydrofracking could be conducted safely, according to the New York Times.
The state’s Health Department found in an analysis it prepared early last year that the much-debated drilling technology known as hydrofracking could be conducted safely in New York, according to a copy obtained by the New York Times from an expert who did not believe it should be kept secret.
The analysis and other health assessments have been closely guarded by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and his administration as the governor weighs whether to approve fracking. Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, has long delayed making a decision, unnerved in part by strident opposition on his party’s left. A plan to allow a limited amount of fracking in the state’s Southern Tier along the Pennsylvania border is still seen as the most likely outcome, should the drilling process receive final approval.
The New York governor is considered to be a potential 2016 contender. Cuomo has known about the report for months as he considered approving fracking. Fracking is a difficult issue for a Democrat considering a presidential future.
News of the report comes as Hollywood takes a tough stand on the issue. Matt Damon’s Promised Land, a movie about local, rural resistance to fracking, was released in December. The movie has not been received well and is currently rated "rotten."
It is unclear if Cuomo has seen Damon’s "rotten" movie.