NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo – AP Photo

On August 20, CBS declared that New York would approve fracking and issues guidelines after Labor Day.

Apparently, the network jumped the gun.

Labor Day has come and gone and Governor Andrew Cuomo said yesterday during an interview with an Albany radio station that he is not pressing the state Department of Environmental Conservation to speed up a decision on whether to approve the controversial natural gas drilling technique.

Cuomo also said he is not pushing for a decision by a certain date, such as Election Day in November or by the end of the year.

” When its done, and when they’re prepared–that’s when we’ll announce the decision,” he told WGDJ.

“And, remember,” he continued, “the announcing of the decision is not going to be the conclusion.

“I promise you, there will be lawsuits, whatever the decision is. So the day right after the decision, there will be another press conference that says, now we’re going to step two, which is a series of legal challenges and political challenges, and we’re going to try to get federal legislation and state legislation. 

“It’s going to be an ongoing situation for a long, long time,” Cuomo said.

Related story:
No rush on fracking decision, Cuomo says

Recent posts: 
Some big corporations cut emissions as Congress fiddles
DEP chief answers critics of NJ’s Barnegat Bay strategy 
Saving NJ baby turtles from an unpleasant awakening
NJ preserving 544 acres in Barnegat Bay watershed
Are Barnegat Bay fixes ignoring an overriding problem? 
 

***********************************************************************************************************
For  thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment
***********************************************************************************************************