ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Hydraulic natural gas drilling, also known as fracking, will be banned in Maryland for the next two years.
This past Saturday, a fracking moratorium bill became law without Gov. Larry Hogan’s signature.
Under Article II, Section 17(C) of the Maryland Constitution, if the Governor decides to neither veto nor sign a bill, then the bill will go into effective by default.
This legislation passed with overwhelming support from the House and Senator, and it prohibits the state’s Department of Environment from issuing any fracking permits until October 2017.
It will also require the Department to adopt regulations for fracking and natural gas exploration on or before Oct. 1, 2016.
If fracking begins in Maryland, it would be mostly in Allegany and Garrett counties. Compared to Pennsylvania and West Virginia, Maryland would only be drilling into about two percent of the Marcellus Shale.
Read More Here: http://www.your4state.com/story/d/story/fracking-moratorium-bill-becomes-law-without-hogan/42896/hbpCxuzrQEaNZtK5hJTnjw
