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FULTON COUNTY, N.Y. -- Experts on the controversial drilling technique known as hydrofracking, gather in the Mohawk Valley.
The Montgomery County Water Quality Coordinating Committee tried to give attendees a thorough understanding of what hydrofracking is, as well as zoning ordinances & comprehensive plans, and current health impact research.
Saturday's conference comes on the heels of a new rule announced by the Obama administration earlier this week that makes it mandatory for fracking companies to publicly disclose all chemicals they use after the well is drilled.
"Hydrofracking is a very controversial issue right now. There are a lot of side issues with it. A lot of municipalities here have moratoriums they have issued recently. They are waiting on additional training and education,” said Patrick Clear, Montgomery Co. Water Quality Coordinating Committee Chair.
John Williams, Ground Water Specialist said, "New York is right in the middle of revising their regulations for the development of shale gas. So it's important to inform citizens about the technologies being used and potential impacts and what might the best practices be used to minimize those impacts."
Williams said the initial reluctance of the hydrofracking industry to disclose chemicals used in the process was for proprietary reasons.
Opponents of this new rule say regulators don't know enough about hydrofracking to determine whether or not the chemicals used are a threat.