TEXAS' BAN ON FRACKING BANS ZOOMS THROUGH THE SENATE, GOES TO GOV. ABBOTT
Nicholas Sakelaris Staff Writer- Dallas Business Journal May 4, 2015, 4:23pm CDT
Texas’ ban on fracking bans will go to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk for signature after passing both houses of the legislature.
The Texas Senate voted 24-7 in favor of House Bill 40 Monday, a move that’s applauded by the oil and gas industry and decried by environmentalist who advocate for local control.
The bill gives nearly all control of oil and gas operations to the Texas Railroad Commission, meaning cities and counties could no longer ban fracking or most other activities related to oil and gas. The controversial bill was filed as a reaction to the Denton frack ban approved by voters in that city last year.
Cities would still be able to regulate surface activities, such as noise, light and traffic routes. Most importantly, cities could still use setbacks, the distance from well sites to protected uses such as homes, schools and hospitals, but it has to be "commercially reasonable." Larger setbacks are opposed by the industry because they say they are veiled attempts to ban drilling altogether.
The bill, filed by Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, does not affect existing regulations of pipelines.
“The Texas oil and natural gas industry is the key economic driver for our state, contributing billions of dollars in annual tax revenue and supporting millions of jobs in the state,” said Ed Longanecker, president of the Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO). “Our greatest priority as an industry is the need for regulatory certainty in our operations.”
The bill passed the senate in about 30 seconds, a far cry from last week’s lengthy discussion in the House of Representatives.
The Environmental Defense Fund will have a “funeral” for local control in the capital rotunda today in protest of the bill’s passing.
"This bill jeopardizes the health and well-being of families across Texas," Cyrus Reed, director of the Sierra Club, said in a statement. "What the Texas Legislature has proven today is that oil and gas reign supreme over health, disaster preparedness and virtually everything else--schools, daycares, homes, parks, local businesses."
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by William C. Morrison on -
Yes, Denton Green folks are seriously upset. They are angry. However, it is over for them in this case. Have no fear they will try to cook up something else.
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Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on
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Maybe in St. Tammany.
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Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on
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Texas governor signs law to prohibit local oil well fracking bans
reuters.com Mon May 18, 2015 9:02pm GMT
HOUSTON May 18 (Reuters) - Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday signed a bill into law that prohibits cities and towns from banning an oil drilling practice known as hydraulic fracking, giving the state sole authority over oil and gas regulation.
Lawmakers in Texas, a state that is home to the two of the most productive U.S. shale oil fields, have been under pressure to halt an anti-fracking movement since November, when voters in the town of Denton voted to ban the oil and gas extraction technique.
"This law ensures that Texas avoids a patchwork quilt of regulations that differ from region to region, differ from county to county or city to city," Abbott, a Republican, said in a statement.
In fracking, a mixture of pressurized water, sand and chemicals is directed at rock to unlock oil and natural gas. Operators say it is safe, but many environmental groups oppose the practice, calling it wasteful, polluting, dirty and noisy.
Fracking was pioneered at the Barnett shale natural gas formation in north Texas where Denton is located. Most of the crude output in Texas comes from fracked wells in the Eagle Ford and Permian fields to the south and west. (Reporting by Anna Driver and Terry Wade; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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