Peter Hudiburg is from the town of Plymouth in Chenango County, and he joined major environmental groups such as the Sierra Club and Hudson Riverkeeper in a rally to persuade Governor Andrew Cuomo to drop a plan to begin limited hydrofracking in the state’s Southern Tier. “Governor Cuomo, the science is in,” Hudiburg shouted. “This is a very dangerous technology.”

Jim Smith, with the Independent Oil and Gas Association, called the event a “stunt,” and says he trusts Cuomo’s Department of Environmental Conservation to create the right rules and regulations to prevent any danger to health and drinking water. “I think the New York DEC will get his right,” said Smith, who predicted that numerous jobs will be created as a result of the plan.

The dispute is likely to heat up even more this summer. Gasland filmmaker Josh Fox has also made a new short film, this time directed at Governor Cuomo.