Rockland Bans Processing or Dumping Toxins from Hydrofracking

Rockland County is putting its foot down when it come to fracking. 

Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderfoef signed a law this month that bans the sale of all gas drilling waste, its processing at all wastewater treatment plants and its application on all roads, including applications for de-icing and dust control. 

"This law will help prevent hazardous by-products from contaminating Rockland’s water and environment,” said Vanderhoef, in a press release.

The controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing, “fracking” or “hydrofracking” injects large volumes of water, sand and chemicals deep underground to break the ground and release natural gas. The flowback wastewater is usually kept in on-site pools and contains high levels of salt, heavy metals and naturally occurring radioactive materials. 

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, fracking may contamination ground water and cause air pollution.

Many counties are enacting similar legislation to protect their water and the health of their communities, like Westchester, Putnam, Nassau, Suffolk, Orange and Ulster.