Survey Shows New Yorkers Definitively Opposed to Fracking

A new poll released Wednesday found opposition to natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale is growing in New York. This comes as Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration weighs whether to allow shale-gas drilling in the state.

The Quinnipiac University survey found 46 percent of New York voters oppose shale-gas drilling, compared to 39 percent in favor. It’s the first time the poll has found a clear margin opposed to the hydraulic fracturing process since it began surveying the issue in 2011.

Upstate is still split, however, with 44 percent in favor and 42 percent opposed, while 56 percent of New York City voters say they’re opposed. The gas-rich Marcellus Shale formation runs across upstate’s southern tier.