Abinanti Pushes Bill to Ban Fracking Waste on Highways

Assemblyman Tom Abinanti (D-Greenburgh/Mt. Pleasant) has introduced legislation (A.211) to ban the use of hydrofracking wastewater on highways. Due to its salty nature, fracking wastewater is being promoted by some to de-ice roads in the winter.

“Spreading toxic, hazardous and radioactive fracking waste on our roads would be devastating to the health and safety of New Yorkers,” said Abinanti. “This wastewater has the potential to cause irreversible damage to our water, air, land and food supplies. It has no place in New York.”

The legislation would apply statewide some of the prohibitions approved in Westchester County. Westchester bans the sale of fracking waste, the processing of fracking waste at wastewater treatment plants and the spreading of fracking wastewater on roads. The Westchester bill was unanimously approved by the County Board of Legislators and signed into law by County Executive Rob Astorino.

Although the State of New York has banned hydrofracking, fracking wastewater from other states can still be dumped or used in New York.

“The fracking ban is a huge step forward in protecting the environment and public health,” said the Westchester Assemblyman. “Now we must eliminate any chance for fracking toxic chemicals to cause damage in New York.”