( CNN ) -- New York could be the first state in the country to impose a limited ban on a controversial method of drilling for natural gas . This week , the state assembly passed a hydraulic fracturing moratorium bill , which is currently en route to New York Gov . David Paterson 's desk . He will have 10 days from then to take action . In the past , Paterson has expressed concern about hydraulic fracturing , which involves cracking thousands of feet beneath the earth 's surface to get at valuable natural gas . It is unclear if the governor will sign or veto the legislation . `` He 'll hear what everybody has to say , '' a representative of the governor 's office told CNN . She would not provide her name . Interactive : See how fracking works . The assembly voted 93 to 43 Monday night to place a temporary moratorium on hydraulic fracturing , so the state can investigate the safety and environmental concerns . The state Senate passed a similar bill in August . The moratorium -- which would only be in effect until May -- seeks to halt new drilling permits for horizontal hydraulic fracturing , dubbed `` fracking , '' a controversial method of extracting natural gas . The drilling process has come under scrutiny because of the potential effects on drinking water , public health and the environment . Can shale gas be produced safely ? If signed into law , New York would be the first state to impose a fracking moratorium , according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . The proposed moratorium in New York was described as `` misguided '' by Kathryn Klaber , who represents a large natural gas industry coalition in the northeast United States . `` Tightly-regulated , environmentally sound natural gas development in New York can and will deliver a much-needed and long-lasting economic shot in the arm to not only communities along the Southern Tier , but for the entire state , just as it is in Pennsylvania , West Virginia and elsewhere , '' said a written statement from Klaber , president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition . Using hydraulic fracturing , drillers pump large amounts of water mixed with sand and chemicals into the shale formation thousands of feet underground under high pressure . Fracturing the shale around the gas well then allows the natural gas to flow freely . The process has raised concerns about whether those chemicals are contaminating the underground water . Some residents near hydraulic fracturing drill sites along the Delaware River Basin -- located in Delaware , New Jersey , New York , and Pennsylvania -- have been able to set their water on fire . Watch residents set water on fire . Several residents in rural Pennsylvania have filed a lawsuit against Cabot Oil & Gas , blaming the company for the contamination . The company has said the hydraulic fracturing process is `` proven and safe , '' citing a 2004 hydraulic fracturing study by the EPA that concluded the injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids `` poses minimal threat '' to underground sources of drinking water . The EPA is currently reviewing its position and plans to issue its report in 2012 . Can the EPA regulate fracking ? New York City gets roughly half of its water from the Delaware River Basin , which was recently named the country 's most endangered river because of the threat of natural gas . Last month , New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called for a cautious approach to the drilling . `` The stakes are high , '' Bloomberg wrote in a November 17 letter to the Delaware River Basin Commission 's Executive Director Carol Collier . `` The City has invested more than $ 1.5 billion in watershed protection programs that have resulted in improved water quality throughout our watershed , as well as to our releases downstream , which benefit all members of the Commission , and the 15 million people who rely on the Delaware River watershed for clean drinking water , '' Bloomberg wrote . Over the past few years , technological advances and increased profit margins have spurred increased use of hydraulic fracturing , according to the EPA . The U.S. Department of Energy estimates shale gas will make up more than 20 percent of the nation 's total natural gas supply by 2020 . Currently , most natural gas is burned to produce electricity or heat and cool buildings . When burned , it emits about half the carbon dioxide as coal . For that reason , most of the country 's big environmental groups are cautiously supportive of increased shale gas development . But , with the expansion of fracturing , there are increased concerns about its potential effects on the underground water table , public health and the environment . Read Fortune Magazine 's special series on fracking . The concerns have prompted an EPA study of the potential problems with fracturing and public hearings to help decide how to conduct the study are almost finished . The EPA -- which held public meetings this year in Binghamton , New York ; Canonsburg , Pennsylvania ; Fort Worth , Texas ; and Denver , Colorado -- plans to begin its actual study in January 2011 and release initial study results by late 2012 .
New York 's state assembly passed a limited ban on hydraulic fracturing . Also known as ` ` fracking , '' it 's a controversial method of extraction for natural gas . The EPA is investigating whether it contaminates ground water .