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Will Maryland Close Its Borders to Fracking?

A bill to ban fracking for three years passes the Maryland House by a veto-proof 94-45, and now it’s up to the Senate decide.

Will Maryland soon close its borders to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking?

The state’s House of Delegates voted 94-45 Tuesday in favor of legislation that seeks a three-year ban on fracking, the controversial practice for extracting oil-and-gas reserves.

The largely Democrat-backed measure is now under review by the Senate Committee on Education, Health and Environmental Affairs. There’s no set timeline for a vote in the Senate, where it’s unclear if there’s enough support to pass the bill.

If this bill becomes law, “we believe it will lead to Maryland not allowing fracking” permanently, following in the footsteps of New York, said Ryanne Waters, a spokeswoman for the environmental advocacy group Food and Water Watch, which has campaigned against fracking in Maryland.

In December, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo banned fracking after a state study determined there is insufficient data available to conclude it would be safe. Fracking currently takes place in 22 states. Waters said that the New York decision has given the anti-fracking movement nationwide “more steam” and “more credibility.”

Maryland chambers approve separate fracking bills

ANNAPOLIS, Md.—Legislation that limits when and how fracking could take place in Maryland passed Tuesday in both chambers of the state legislature.

Senators voted 29–17 for a bill that holds drilling companies strictly liable for injuries to residents or their property, and in the case of legal action companies would have to disclose what chemicals they use for drilling.

In a 93–45 House vote, delegates supported a three-year moratorium on the drilling practice and called for establishing a scientific review panel to look at impacts to public health and the environment.

“These bills are not mutually exclusive. I think there’s much more study that needs to be done on this, particularly the public health effects and environmental effects of fracking,” said Sen. Robert Zirkin, a Democrat from Baltimore County who sponsored the liability legislation. “The law we just passed from the Senate holds the correct people responsible if there is damage. Why should taxpayers be on the hook for environmental damage caused by the industry?”

Fracking moratorium bill fends off amendments, heads to vote

A bill to place a three-year moratorium on fracking in Maryland survived eight amendments and is headed to a vote in the House of Delegates.

On Monday, the Protect Our Health and Communities Act dodged attempts by House Republicans to change the legislation and make it easier for fracking to start in western Maryland. Currently there is no fracking in Maryland.

Fracking – The Health Effects

The Garrett County Commissioners met on Tuesday. The presentation that was given by Dr. Ann Bristow is now online.

Click here for more information: http://garrettcounty.org/resources/commissioners/pdf/GaCo_Comm_3-17-15-(2).pdf

Md. Senate kills effort to weaken proposed resistrictions on fracking

ANNAPOLIS — A key amendment offered by Republican Sen. George Edwards to weaken a bill that could restrict the process of drilling for gas in Western Maryland was defeated on the Senate floor Thursday.

The bill, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Bobby Zirkin, D-Baltimore County, seeks to hold energy companies responsible for any damages from hydraulic fracturing, a drilling process that is used in states such as Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process by which water, sand and chemicals are pumped underground to fracture rock and release natural gas.

Senators hotly debate language in fracking bill

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —The debate over whether to allow fracking in Maryland lit up the state Senate chamber Wednesday.

Legislators from western Maryland oppose a bill that would hold fracking companies accountable for any damage done during the process, saying it would kill any chances of cashing in on natural gas deposits in the state.

Spirited debate came to an abrupt halt when the Senate decided to seek the state attorney general’s opinion on disputed language in the bill.

Fracking extracts natural gas from Marcellus shale, which can be found underneath of nearly all of Garrett County and parts of Allegany County. A Towson University study finds tapping into Marcellus shale could infuse billions into the western Maryland economy.

Fracking in Maryland needs to be stopped before it begins

Well it looks as if hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is going to make its debut in Maryland in the near future. After conducting a three-year long study concerning the potential effects of fracking on Maryland, former governor Martin O’Malley declared the state fit to frack just before leaving office. His successor Larry Hogan has also expressed his desire to start drilling in the very near future. While fracking might create short-term jobs and tax revenues, Maryland needs to realize the costs will far outweigh the benefits. Fracking will only destroy the state’s environment and worsen its already outdated infrastructure.

The process of fracking involves drilling about a mile and a half into the ground, injecting water into the well created by the drill in order to crack the shale bedrock and extract the gas within it. It’s a process that threatens the environment above and below the ground.

The biggest danger inherent in the fracking process is the possibility of leakages in the pipes, which would cause gas to seep into shallow rock layers and private wells, creating the possibility of it ending up in peoples’ faucets. When the contaminated water arrives at the tap, it becomes flammable.

The chemicals in the byproducts of the gas consist of benzene, xylene toluene, and methane; all of which are known to cause cancer, birth defects and nervous system disorders. Since fracking is such a recently developed process, there are also possible long-term risks that are still largely unknown. According to the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, a non-profit devoted to “building a movement to solve the climate crisis in Maryland, D.C., and Virginia,” doctors are already connecting fracking to numerous health problems like respiratory illness and increased infant mortality.

100+ Maryland businesses call for fracking moratorium

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More than 100 businesses in western Maryland have come out in support of a bill that would establish a moratorium on oil and gas exploration via hydraulic fracturing, citing concerns over pollution, health and tourism consequences.

Lawmakers in Maryland are currently considering bills that would either place an eight-year moratorium on fracking or ban the practice completely, much like New York did late last year.

However, state Gov. Larry Hogan believes the time is right to allow the practice – which involves blasting highly pressurized water, sand and other chemicals into layers of rock to free up oil and gas – as long as strict regulations are in place. According to the Baltimore Sun, the Maryland Environmental Department is considering regulations that would pave the way for fracking to begin in the state.

Bill Seeks to Impose Moratorium on Fracking Until 2023

March 12th, 2015 by WCBC Radio

Efforts to see that hydraulic fracturing won’t be considered in Maryland for at least another eight years continue in Annapolis as a hearing in the House Environmental and Transportation placing a moratorium on banning fracking was held Wednesday. The bill would impose a moratorium on fracking until 2023. Local residents and officials planned to testify on both sides of the bill. Members of Don’t Frack Maryland also planned to present a petition supporting the moratorium to the legislators. Supporters of fracking say that the bill may have an adverse impact on small businesses engaged in providing services related to hydraulic fracturing, and that the region is missing out on a potential revenue stream of hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Delegate Wendell Beitzel, who represents Garrett County, is frustrated with the opposition. He says a moratorium may not even be required given the potential strictest in the nation regulations being considered…..

– See more at: http://www.wcbcradio.com/?news=bill-seeks-to-impose-moratorium-on-fracking-until-2023#sthash.qrLPP5yI.dpuf

Garrett Realtors back anti-fracking legislation

OAKLAND — Two bills in the Maryland legislature dealing with studying the health impacts of fracking have received the support of the Garrett County Board of Realtors.

House Bill 449 and Senate Bill 409 both call for a statewide moratorium on natural gas development that uses hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, until certain studies are completed to determine the health effects that the technology poses to communities.

The Board of Realtors notes that property values are negatively impacted for homes in proximity to gas well development. The stigma from the possibility of health-related water well contamination contributes to upwards of 20 percent or more negative impact on home values, according to the board.

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