Nick Califra is reporting for the Legislative Gazette the New York State Senate April 1, approved a bill that would ban oil and gas industry waste on state highways. The measure prohibits fluid generated from hydrofracking and any other oil and gas drilling from being applied to roads as a de-icing agent. Fracking chemicals can seep into groundwater and cause pollution to streams and rivers while exposing people to unsafe levels of radioactivity. “Even though we’ve banned hydrofracking in New York, we haven’t banned all uses of waste generated by fracking and other oil and gas drilling,” said bill sponsor, state Sen. Brad Holyman. “When these toxic chemicals are spread on our highways, they don’t just magically disappear after they melt ice, they runoff and seep into our rivers, lakes and groundwater...” The companion legislation in the state Assembly, sponsored by Assemblymember Danny O’Donnell, will prohibit the use of drilling fluids, brine and flowback water from wells, pools or fields on any highway. The Assembly bill has advanced to a third reading. Fifteen counties in New York have already banned the practice, including Albany, Ulster, Rockland, Westchester, Orange, Putnam and Schoharie. The pending legislation would make the ban effective statewide. Read the full story at legislative gazette [dot] com.