ALBANY--The door, which was formerly shut on hydrofracking, threatens to burst wide open again.

As of Friday, July 1, an executive summary and a 736-paged report draft was released by the DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) which showed plans to lift the ban on hydrofracking. The New York Times broke the news the following day, via Twitter.

New York State Assemblyman Kevin Cahill expressed disappointment and concern regarding the DEC's decision last Friday.

"The decision by the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Executive to lift the moratorium on hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") is misguided and premature," Cahill said. "For the last several years, we have known that certain aspects of fracking pose serious, negative environmental consequences.Among the vexing issues still unresolved is that New York currently has no sure and safe way to dispose of spent fracking fluid.Serious concerns have also been raised about the impact on the water supply for residents proximate to wells.Exempting the New York City and Syracuse watersheds from drilling does not address the legitimate apprehensions of those who live outside of these regions, yet face the same risks of dangerous contamination." To read more from his official statement, click here.

For complete coverage of the hydrofracking ban lift, visit watershedpost.com, and nytimes.com.

Source: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation