Depending on who you talk to, the state Supreme Court’s decision Tuesday to uphold a hydrofracking ban in the Town of Dryden is either a step forward for towns looking to repel fracking or just a small victory in a greater fight.
Dryden, located in Tompkins County, used zoning laws to pass a ban on the exploration for and production or storage of natural gas and petroleum in August.
A month later, Anschutz Exploration Corporation, a drilling company based in Colorado that had leased 22,200 acres of land in Dryden, challenged the town’s authority to regulate or prohibit gas drilling.
Anschutz had invested approximately $5.1 million in its activities in the town. Its leases represent over one-third of Dryden’s total area.
In his decision, state Supreme Court Justice Phillip Rumsey upheld the ban.