New York Gov. David Paterson vetoed a moratorium bill on natural gas drilling over the weekend, but then issued an executive order prohibiting hydraulic fracturing in the state until next summer.
Paterson says the bill passed by both the Senate and the Assembly was too vague and would negatively affect the state’s existing natural gas drilling.
Instead, he decided to issue the executive order, in the hopes that the Department of Environmental Conservation will finish their review of the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing, which has been continuously delayed since April.
Also in New York State, around 900 workers received their formal layoff notices on Friday. They go into effect at the end of the year. The governor’s office says the layoffs will save the state $250 million.
