Environment New York Claims Fracking Costs More than Money

The cost of fracking to harvest natural gas in New York would be high in terms of both the effects on the environment and the costs to the public, according to a report issued last week by Environment New York.

Group director David Vanluven said New York would face similar negatives other states have where fracking is permitted.

The report finds that fracking creates millions of dollars of healthcare costs from air pollution, loss of property value near drilling sites, and contaminated property.

Vanluven added fracking in the Catskills and Hudson Valley would negatively impact public infrastructure with heavy trucking equipment ripping up the roads.

The report's release comes as governor Andrew Cuomo is considering whether to allow hydraulic fracking in New York. Several New York communities have staged rallies and protests in an effort to convince Cuomo to ban fracking.