New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has banned fracking in New York state:

Finally, New York is about to ban fracking.

In a long-awaited decision, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the state will not move forward with high volume hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, because of the threat it poses to air, water and public health.

The governor’s been hedging on the issue since 2012, when his administration first undertook a health impact review. At a public year-end cabinet meeting Wednesday, New York state Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker provided an overview of what he said could be ”significant health risks” from the oil and gas extraction process, which has been prevented in the state under a temporary moratorium put in place in 2008.

“Would I live in a community [with fracking] based on the facts I have now?” Zucker asked. “Would I let my child play in a school field nearby, drink water from the tap or grow vegetables from the soil? My answer is no.”

He concluded, “I cannot support high-volume hydraulic fracturing in the great state of New York.”

I cannot help but assume that there is a crass self-serving reason behind this, because, well, it’s Andrew Cuomo.

Still, it was the right decision.