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08/22/2012 09:52 PM

Doctors weigh in on hydrofracking

By: Web Staff

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VESTAL, N.Y. -- Since the debate over hydrofracking began, Vestal residents have packed the Town Hall to discuss the issue.

One group, Vestal Residents for Safe Energy, has urged the board to enact a moratorium on drilling, while the Vestal Landowners Coalition has asked lawmakers to wait until the State finishes its assessment of the controversial practice.

It was a full house again Wednesday as both pro- and anti-hydrofracking constituents gathered to listen to doctors from the Broome County Medical Society addressed lawmakers. They say they are neither for nor against fracking, but rather for the health of residents in the area and are concerned over the lack of medical data that would prove whether or not the drilling technique could cause health risks.

"People who are for drilling, people who are against drilling, we all need to get motivated and combine our efforts, combine our energy and be a united front and have New York State Department of Health collect the data points we need so we have concrete objective data to make a decision," said Dr. Niru Anne.

The Vestal Town Board continues to say that they will not render a decision on natural gas drilling until the state does.