'Fracking' bill buried in Senate
- April 29, 2015
- / Michael Spooneybarger
- / video
Senators on Wednesday tabled a controversial bill about the oil and natural-gas drilling process known as "fracking," ensuring the measure will not pass this year. Sponsor Garrett Richter, R-Naples, said the bill (HB 1205) would put "responsible regulations" in place for fracking, which he said has already occurred in Collier County.
Among other things, it would have required disclosure about chemicals used in the process. But critics objected to fracking in the state, including raising concerns about potential effects on groundwater. Fracking involves injecting water, sand and chemicals underground to create fractures in rock formations, which allows the release of natural gas and oil.
Senate consideration of the bill got tangled in the House's decision Tuesday to shut down its portion of the annual legislative session. For procedural reasons, two-thirds of Senate members would have needed to support taking up the bill Wednesday. But Richter acknowledged that he did not have that much support and said he would "temporarily postpone" the measure --- effectively tabling it.
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