A new poll shows more New Yorkers support "hydrofracking" than oppose it, with support more common in downstate regions.
A Siena College poll of registered voters found 42 percent support hydrofracking, which involves injecting a well with millions of gallons of chemically treated water to crack rock deep underground. Another 36 percent oppose it and the rest of the respondents did not express an opinion.
Siena found that residents of upstate New York opposed hydrofracking 45 percent to 39 percent.
Drillers want to tap natural gas in the massive Marcellus Shale formation, which stretches into New York's Southern Tier. New state regulations for shale gas development are being developed.
The poll of 822 voters was conducted Nov. 26-29 and has a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press