NORWICH – The decision to provide special environmental protections from natural gas drilling in the watersheds that supply drinking water to New York City and Syracuse has received mixed reactions from both opponents and proponents to drilling.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis announced Friday that due to the unique issues related to the areas’ water supplies, they will be excluded from the pending generic environmental review process for natural gas drilling using high-volume horizontal drilling into shale formations, such as the Marcellus and Utica.

The DEC’S SGEIS review process has already been delayed from June to possibly the end of the year. Energy companies and New York’s landowers wanting to lease to them have been waiting for permission to drill since November 2008, while Pennsylvania and other states within the promising Marcellus Shale region have moved forward.

Bryant La Tourette of the Oxford Land Group, an association of 350 members who represent 26,000 acres of land, said he expected the move could open the doors sooner for permitting horizontal shale drilling in Chenango County. However, he blamed “misleading hysteria” from opposition groups for causing the concern in the first place.

“Folks should have more concern with NYC’s Environmental Protection Agency exemption of the unfiltered, free drinking water,” he said.

New York Senator Tom Libous said he was pleased that the DEC has taken the additional steps to protect the watersheds. “This is also great news for the people of the Southern Tier. With more focus on drilling permits outside those areas, we may see safe drilling begin sooner than we thought,” he said.