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History
- Referred to cultural affairs, tourism, parks and recreation
- Referred to cultural affairs, tourism, parks and recreation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Prohibits fracturing and horizontal drilling for natural gas or oil on land operated by the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Steven Englebright
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S4841
Title of bill
An act to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in relation to prohibiting fracturing and horizontal drilling to extract oil or natural gas from state park, recreation and historic lands
Purpose of the bill
The purpose of the bill is to protect lands under the jurisdiction of OPRHP from environmental damage by prohibiting hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling operations on or under such lands.
Summary of provisions
The bill adds new Section 13.33 of the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law, to prohibit hydraulic fracturing for the purpose of extracting natural gas, on or under all lands which OPRHP has jurisdiction over, and within one mile of such lands. Furthermore, the bill prohibits horizontal drilling under all real property under the jurisdiction of OPRHP where the state owns the mineral right on or under such lands.
Justification
Recent industrial interest in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling techniques for the purpose of extracting natural gas has created great concern over the impact of such activities on State parks lands, historic sites and other lands under the jurisdiction of OPRHP. The disruption of lands by drilling; the use, handling and disposal of drilling fluids the impacts of hydraulic fracturing on surface and subsurface resources; and other considerations are cause for great concern. To eliminate this potential harm to the State's valuable park resources, this bill would prevent the use of damaging drilling techniques on or under such lands. Vertical drilling would still be allowed in areas where the mineral rights are owned by a party other than the State.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
None.
Effective date
This act would take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.