Vigil held to protest hydrofracking

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - The debate over hydrofracking came front and center Friday night in downtown Buffalo.

Protesters gathered for a candlelight vigil outside the Buffalo office of Senator Mark Grisanti. They're hoping to pressure him to support a bill that would ban fracking in New York. The process injects a mixture of water and chemicals into the ground to help push natural gas to the surface.

Rita Yelda of Food and Water Watch said, "There is also a risk of underground contamination of water sources. And the toxic waste created by the process often goes mistreated and ends up in our waterways. It's an all-out assault on clean water."

Senator Grisanti's office tells News 4 the senator still has not made up his mind about hydrofracking in New York. The DEC is expected to deliver its decision within the next few months.