Lawsuits Predicted as Some U.S. Towns Ponder Whether to Block Fracking

Many states regulate drilling, but towns are still allowed to zone their own land. by Nicholas Kusnetz, ProPublica New York environmental officials have released a blueprint for regulations that eventually would allow hydraulic fracturing to begin in most parts of the state—except for key watersheds and aquifers and on state land.Drilling is still months away at the earliest, but talk has already begun about legal challenges from energy companies and landowners in the areas where high-volume hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, would be prohibited.“I think some of the bans and setbacks are legally questionable,” said Tom West, an oil and gas attorney in Albany, N.Y., who represents a number of drilling companies in the state. “When they start putting areas off limits to drilling or production that raises a significant legal issue.”West said the ban would deprive landowners and leaseholders of the right to develop their property.…

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