Cuomo Says No Rush on Fracking Decision

9/10/2012 (Updated 11:02:15 PM)

According to that CBS report last month, the Coumo Administration would announce soon after Labor Day that it had decided to allow hydrofracting to proceed. So, what happened to that anticipated announcement?

Governor Cuomo announced Monday that there are no immediate plans for a decision.

Cuomo says he won't set a deadline such as election day or even the end of the year.

The Joint Landowners Coalition of New York says Cuomo should have green lighted fracking two years ago.

And one of it's leaders, Vic Furman, says he doesn't buy the argument of anti-frackers that according to the CBS report, fracking would initially, only be allowed in the border areas near Pennsylvania, including Broome County.

A decision that opponents say shows that the governor is unsure if fracking is safe.

"They're following a straight line up the Marcellus, and the Southern Tier happens to be the first part of New York which is in that line.....so, they will start here, and when they see it can be done safely, the state will open up the rest of it," said Vic Furman of the Joint Landowners Coalition of New York.

Governor Cuomo says his decision won't be the end of the fracking debate in New York.

He says there will be lawsuits no matter what the decision is.

Furman says the lawsuits which the state would face from anti-drillers would not permanently stop drilling.

He feels that could proceed, while the state defends its positions.