TWC News/Siena Poll: Voters In Southern Tier, Hudson Valley Oppose Fracking, But...
TWC News/Siena Poll: Voters In Southern Tier, Hudson Valley Oppose Fracking, But Acknowledge Economic Benefits
Nick Reisman
More than half of voters in the Southern Tier and the Catskills/Hudson valley regions are opposed to allowing the natural-gas extraction process hyrdrofracking to move forward, a Time Warner Cable News/Siena College poll found. Those results are sure to give more fuel to the ardent opposition to hydrofracking among environmental groups.
“We’ve seen these results for years now that people in the areas that would be most affected by the impacts of hydraulic fracturing are opposed and that seems to be growing. We’ve seen that with other states that have rushed ahead with hydrofracking the water is polluted, the economic impacts have not been beneficial and peoples’ public health is suffering,” said Elizabeth Moran of the Environmental Advocates of New York.
But the same poll found voters who live in the areas of the state that would be impacted by hydrofracking also believe it could be an economic engine for the jobs-starved area. The poll found 42 percent agree it’s important to harvest natural gas found below ground. A combined 52 percent agreed that hydrofracking in the Southern Tier would generate economic activity and 55 percent think it will generate jobs.
http://www.nystateofpolitics.com/2014/07/twc-newssiena-poll-voters-in-southern-tier-hudson-valley-oppose-fracking-but-acknowledge-economic-benefits/
