A new law means that a drilling boom is likely to take place near the Marcellus Shale formation, which underpins a wide swath of western New York State. But the state government may not have enough qualified personnel to oversee the flurry of anticipated applications, according to the Press & Sun-Bulletin.

Gov. David Paterson says the state will be "vigilant in ensuring environmental safeguards" for Marcellus Shale drilling.Currently, the state has a freeze on hiring while it tries to deals with budget problems. Meanwhile, energy companies are taking advantage of the backlog to recruit workers who can manage with the permit process.

Judith Enck, Gov. David Paterson's top environmental adviser, says that new drilling may be delayed if the Department of Environmental Conservation doesn't have sufficient staff to oversee permits and monitor any environmental impacts.