Posted on 09/20/2013 11:52:52 PM PDT by TexGrill
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept 20 (Reuters) - California's first regulations on fracking and related oil production practices will go into effect next year in the most populous U.S. state under a bill signed into law on Friday by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown.
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is the practice of injecting water, sand and chemicals underground to crack rock formations and free up oil and natural gas. The technology makes it possible for oil companies to unlock California's vast Monterey Shale deposit, estimated to hold 15.4 billion barrels of recoverable oil.
But environmentalists across the nation have decried the practice, saying that the chemicals used in the process pollute underground water supplies and cause other damage. New York has instituted a moratorium on fracking, and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a strict set of regulations into law in June.
The California law would require oil companies to obtain permits for fracking as well as acidizing, the use of hydrofluoric acid and other chemicals to dissolve shale rock.
It would also require notification of neighbors, public disclosure of the chemicals used, as well as groundwater and air quality monitoring and an independent scientific study.
The hotly contested bill drew strong opposition from many environmentalists, who said it did not go far enough and complained that a proposed moratorium was taken out, along with some tougher regulations.
In his signing statement, Brown, who favors some level of fracking in the Monterey Shale, said he believed more changes would be necessary even as the law goes into effect next year.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Anyone else here remember back when California was pro-business and pro-growth?
That must have been back when their license plates were still blue though.
Black, actually.
Will California allow deep water drilling when half of the state is under water due to globull warming?
Above from -- CA gov link
No-one bothered to complain until it became a greenie issue and got recent press coverage.
I guess 30 years of actual experience doesn't count in Kalifornia...:^)
Can’t wait until the next set of rolling blackouts hit the state again.
“Can’t wait until the next set of rolling blackouts hit the state again.”
Yeah, for sure. I’m sure glad that Texas is on its own grid. Maybe if Kalifornian’s make nice to us we will sell them some of our surplus. At a price, lol :) God Bless Texas!
No.
Thank goodness California had the good sense to do this. I only wish the bill had been stronger, and completely prohibited fracking in California.
Oh, well, yes I do live in Texas and I do get royalties for the gas under my suburban land. And, yes, there is enough gas in California to reduce my royalty payment.
But I am all for California being just as green as they want to be!
California turned from a swing state to blue after the ‘86 amnesty then to solid blue for good after motor voter in ‘93. There’s no going back.
The anti fracers are mostly hard left groups that are actually trying to wreck the economy of our nation. A few, very few, of the environmentalists are sincere but they are basically scientifically illiterate and useful tools of the left.
I spent 17 years in oil and gas exploration. I know what I am talking about.
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