Gas hydrofracking industry denies earthquake link

A spokesman for the hydraulic fracturing industry at the Marcellus shale deposit, which underlies much of western New York State and where at least one Long Island company is doing business, yesterday denied that hydrofracking caused Tuesday's earthquake.

The massive shale deposit underlies large swaths of western New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, most of West Virginia and the edges of Virginia -- where the 5.8 magnitude quake was centered.

A link is widely suspected between hydrofracking, a method of extracting natural gas from shale by use of high-pressure water and chemicals, and recent, low-level earthquakes in Arkansas and in England.

The industry spokesman's denial came in a report in The Patriot-News, of Harrisburg, Pa. The title of the story: "Marcellus Shale drilling to blame for Virginia earthquake? No fracking way, industry officials say."

Newsday's business blog reported in May on Calverton-based Miller Environmental Group Inc., which expanded its operations to Elmira, in western New York State, where services in the Marcellus shale oil and gas field will be a core component of the new office.