Vermont Legislature Passes Fracking Ban - FOX44 - Burlington / Plattsburgh News, Weather & Sports

Vermont Legislature Passes Fracking Ban

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MONTPELIER, Vt. -

The Vermont Legislature passes the first-in-the-nation fracking ban.

A press release says, the Vermont House of Representatives voted 103-36 Friday to ban the practice of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas.  

"Fracking has caused enormous problems with underground water contamination and aboveground waste disposal - entire streams have been destroyed," said noted author and environmentalist, Bill McKibben.  "A ban on this process makes sense, if for no other reason than it will keep the oil industry from pumping lobbying dollars into the state three years hence."

Fracking is a method of extracting natural gas from deep in the ground by injecting a mixture of water, sand and chemicals under high pressure into dense rock formations such as shale, in order to crack the rock and release the gas, the press release states.

Vermont's Senate also voted for a ban on fracking after the House passed a moratorium. This required the bill to go to a Committee of Conference to negotiate the differences between the bill. The Senate's more protective approach won out.  

No gas fracking is currently taking place in Vermont.

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