What many scientists believe to be one of the largest fossil fuel pockets in the country has created a heated debate among upstate land owners and city watershed advocates. NY1's Tara Lynn Wagner filed the following report.

While she admits she could make good money off leasing her land, Delaware County farmer Lisa Wujnovich is staunchly opposed to natural gas drilling on the Marcellus Shale. It's an opinion that has put her at odds with some of her neighbors and at times even her own husband.

"We don't have completely the same ideas about what is the way that is going to stop this -- if anything is going to stop it -- because it seems like it could be pretty inevitable," Wujnovich said.

The "it" Wujnovich refers to is hydraulic fracturing, or fracking as it's more commonly known. New York State has spent roughly 18 months examining the process, which is already being used some 60 miles away in Dimock, Pennsylvania -- a town some environmental groups call a cautionary tale.

"The water wells became so heavily contaminated that the water is not usable for drinking, for bathing, for all of the things we take for granted as something that can come out of our tap. Clean pure water -- they don't have it," said Natural Resources Defense Council attorney Amy Sinding.

"It's a high engineered, highly controlled, very highly regulated process," said Conrad GeoScience President John Conrad.

Conrad insists the technique is safe. A consultant with the natural gas industry, he calls the problems in Dimock a rare and unfortunate exception, and is quick to point out the environmental or economic benefits of fracking.

"Estimates are something on the order of $1.4 billion on revenues in the very first year of Marcellus drilling. A lot of local spending at the community level, lots of jobs created," Conrad said.

It's the promise of a much needed economic boost that has Hancock officials eager to see the Department of Environmental Conservation wrap up their review process and issue a decision.

"I think New York State has put enough time into it and it's time to move forward, up or down, one way or the other," said Hancock Town Supervisor Samuel Rowe.

If drilling is ultimately allowed, one issue everyone can agree on is the need to do it right. Whether that means additional studies, new regulations or stronger oversight, experts say New York State is at a turning point.

"Unlike in Pennsylvania where it's been drill first, ask questions later, here we have the opportunity to measure twice and cut once," Sinding said.

"We actually have an opportunity to force them to do it properly and to pay for mistakes if they happen and hopefully get enough mitigation in that the mistakes won't happen in the first place," said Catskill Mountainkeeper Program Director Wes Gillingham.

And while responsibility for oversight ultimately lies with the state, locals predict there will be plenty of pedestrian eyes on the ground and what's happening underneath it.

"I think this is going to be very policed. The people aren't going to tolerate anything crazy going on. This is gonna be babysat and DEC is going to be called immediately if anything isn't done right," Rowe said.