Scott Waldman is reporting at Capital New York a proposal to use gelled propane instead of water in fracking could be exempt from the state's current fracking ban. The gelled propane proposal calls for test wells on a hay and corn farm in Tioga County in the Southern Tier. The state's final ban on high-volume hydraulic fracturing was completed in late June. That ban centered on the risks the process posed to drinking water supplies. In hydraulic fracturing large volumes of water mixed with sand and chemicals are used to create fractures in rock that release the gas. The propane proposal uses liquefied petroleum gas and sand instead of water to split the rock. The propane is then recaptured as a gas when it rises back to the surface. The state Department of Environmental Conservation did not immediately dismiss the Tioga County permit. "As required by law, we will review the permit," a DEC spokesman told Capital New York. On Mon., Jul. 27, a coalition of environmental groups sent a letter to the DEC asking the Cuomo administration to ban propane fracking as well, or conduct a thorough environmental review. Read the full story at Capital New York.