Governor Andrew Cuomo has once again delayed a decision about whether to allow a controversial natural gas extraction program to go forward in New York State.

The governor's heath commissioner, Nirav Shah, is currently conducting a health study on the drilling called hydraulic fracturing, also known as "fracking."

In a Tuesday letter to the state's Department of Environmental Conservation, Shah says that study will need more time.

Environmentalists say the drilling cannot be done safely without polluting the air and water supply, while supporters of the process say it can be done cleanly while also helping the struggling upstate economy.