Fracking Study: Economic Effects on Southern New York
The impact of natural gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing could have a significant and debilitating impact on tourism in the southern part of New York state, according to a new study from a regional planning board there.
The study, done by the Cornell University doctoral candidate Andrew Rumbach at the behest of the Southern Tier Central Regional Planning and Development Board (STC), whose jurisdiction includes Chemung, Steuben and Schuyler counties, examined the cumulative impact of drilling and specifically, hydraulic fracturing in both the short and long term.
The study found that, in the short term, the area might enjoy some immediate economic benefit but, in the long term, could experience a significant economic degradation in an area heavily dependent on tourism.
From the study:
Flaring from a hydraulic fracturing well illuminates the night sky in Bradford County, PA. A new study from a regional planning board in New York concludes that similar activity could significantly damage tourism in the southern part of that state
