When do (and when don’t) municipal bans on natural gas drilling violate the U.S. Constitution? It’s a sticky question and it takes an ace legal mind to tackle this broad and complex topic. An ace attorney has done just that. MDN friend and litigator Ken Kamlet from the Binghamton law firm Hinman, Howard & Kattell (HHK) does a deep dive on the topic of when town bans violate the Constitution. This is not a theoretical exercise for Kamlet. The lawyers at HHK are currently suing (on behalf of landowners) the village of Sidney, NY (Delaware County) over a ban they passed in February 2013 (Exclusive: Sidney, NY Sued by Landowners over Fracking Moratorium).
HHK is also the law firm that sued the City of Binghamton, NY over their illegal frack moratorium and won (see NY Judge Throws Out Binghamton Fracking Moratorium). HHK knows the law, knows the Constitution, and is well-equipped to write about when bans do, and do not, violate the Constitution…
