Joseph Martens, whom Gov. Andrew Cuomo has nominated to lead the Department of Environmental Conservation, said this week that New York "won't undertake drilling until it can be done safely."

Speaking before a state legislative budget committee, Martens also suggested that DEC will release its study of hydraulic fracturing (also called hydrofracking) even if the EPA hasn't finished its own study of the practice.

DEC's study could be released as early as June.

In another significant development, Buffalo joined Pittsburgh as only the second major city in the country to ban hydrofracking within its borders. Some Hudson Valley towns are considering similar measures, although the gas drilling is largely the purview of state regulators.

Hydraulic fracturing requires a mixture of chemicals, water and sand to break through rocks and extract the gas underneath. Energy companies and some property owners want to move forward with the practice in order to drill for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale formation of the Southern Tier. Environmentalists and some residents fear the process could lead to a poisoned water table.

There are concerns from both environmental advocates and businesses associated with natural gas development about whether DEC has sufficient staff to complete the report and regulate the permitting process. Nevertheless, Martens received praise from both sides for his remarks on the issue.