NY's top court rejects industry bid to revive challenge to local fracking bans

New York's highest court has rejected an attempt by the oil and gas industry to revive its fight against local fracking bans.

In a precedent-setting decision last June, the Court of Appeals ruled that communities have the right to use local land-use authority to prohibit oil and gas operations within their borders. On Thursday, the court denied a motion by the trustee for bankrupt Norse Energy to reargue its case against the town of Dryden.

Norse Energy had argued that such local laws were pre-empted by a state law that delegates all authority to regulate oil and gas development to the state.

New York has had a moratorium on shale gas development since 2008.