New York has sued the federal government, accusing it of not conducting a thorough study of the possible impact of natural gas "fracking" on drinking water for several million people.

So-called fracking involves pumping massive amounts of water, chemicals and sand into a well bore at high pressure to fracture surrounding shale, releasing natural gas. The drilling chemicals and methane have contaminated some waterways and drinking water sources. The energy industry and some experts say the pollution is relatively minimal and the health concerns overstated.

Under regulations proposed by the Delaware River Basin Commission and backed by federal agencies, 15,000 to 18,000 gas wells would be drilled within the river basin without the full environmental review mandated under U.S. law. As a result, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed suit today.

Bloomberg and the Associated Press have details.

Gasland, the Oscar-nominated documentary about pollution caused by fracking, has drawn objections from the oil-and-gas industry, which has complained that it contains "many errors, inconsistencies and outright falsehoods," and therefore should not be eligible for an Academy Award.