NY State environment officials imposed stricter regulations for drilling in the Marcellus Shale, a watershed that supplies most of NYC's drinking water. According to the Times Herald-Record, "The action effectively blocks drilling in the region because of the costly and time-consuming permit process that will be required. But it is not an absolute ban." The NRDC's gas drilling expert Kate Sinding said an outright ban is needed, "At the end of the day, this does nothing to protect the drinking water supplies for New York City or Syracuse. Quite the opposite - it tells us the watersheds for more than 9 million New Yorkers are still vulnerable to drilling with toxic chemicals."