As expected Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings today vetoed a city-wide ban on hydraulic fracturing, a controversial natural gas extraction process.

The ban was a largely symbolic one, given Albany is not a source of natural gas reserves, unlike the Southern Tier.

What was interesting about the veto message was the mayor, a close ally of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, specifically cited the ongoing study by the Department of Environmental Conservation to determine rules and regulations for hydrofracking.

He says it “wouldn’t be appropriate” to put a ban in place while the state was working on its study. This comes after Jennings allowed the Occupy Albany protest to continue in Academy Park after a Cuomo aide reportedly asked if he would shut the demontration down.

DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said earlier this week that the permits for drilling may not be issued next year, given the crush of public comments.

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