Voters

A new poll shows opposition to hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has hit a new high among voters in New York State. Most poll respondents agreed that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been avoiding making a decision about the practice.

A coalition of New York landowners that supports natural gas development filed a lawsuit Friday in the state Supreme Court against Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the state departments of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Health (DOH) and their respective commissioners over delays in considering high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF).

A poll of 1,250 registered voters living in the Marcellus and Utica shale regions released on Monday found that an overwhelming majority of those surveyed support more environmental safeguards and regulations as a condition of further oil and gas development in Appalachia.

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce on Monday launched a campaign to educate voters about the state’s oil and natural gas business in an attempt to prevent any municipal or legislative bans on unconventional drilling.

Despite a dozen small earthquakes in 2011 blamed on wastewater disposal wells, voters in the City of Youngstown, OH, stood firm on Tuesday and defeated, by a 57-43% margin, an amendment to the city’s charter that would have banned hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

Opponents of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in Michigan plan to begin collecting signatures for a petition that could ask voters in 2014 whether to allow the drilling stimulation practice to be used in the state.

An appellate court in Pennsylvania on Friday ordered a lower court to reconsider a request by two newspapers to have court records in a water contamination case unsealed.

In Tuesday’s election, Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) Chairman Barry Smitherman, a Republican, retained his seat, and Republican Christi Craddick was picked by voters over Democratic challenger Dale Henry.

Longmont, CO, voters Tuesday approved a hotly contested ban on the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) within its jurisdiction, passing a ballot measure (Question 300) by a comfortable margin, according to reports.