"The measure, HB 191, allows the state to regulate and authorize the pumping of large volumes of water, sand and chemicals into the ground using high pressure to recover oil and gas deposits. It passed by a 73-45 vote with seven Republicans joining Democrats to oppose the measure.
It postpones the prohibition on fracking bans until a study on the impact of the state’s geology is completed in 2017. But the bill is also vigorously opposed by environmental groups and 41 cities and 27 counties — including Miami-Dade and Broward counties." Read more... at the Miami Herald.
CS/HB 191: Regulation of Oil and Gas Resources
GENERAL BILL by State Affairs Committee ; Rodrigues, R. ; Pigman ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Broxson ; Hill
Regulation of Oil and Gas Resources; Preempts to
the state regulation of matters relating to exploration, development,
production, processing, storage, & transportation of oil & gas
after specified date; revises DEP rulemaking authority; prohibits
department from issuing permits for high-pressure well stimulation until
rules and study on the issue are completed; deletes provisions
requiring Division of Resource Management to get certain approval from
municipal governing bodies; requires division to consider additional
criteria when issuing permits; requires DEP to conduct study; requires
applicants & operators to provide surety; increases maximum amount
for civil penalties; requires DEP to designate national chemical
registry as state's registry; requires service providers, vendors, &
well owners or operators to report certain information to DEP; requires
DEP to report certain information to registry; provides appropriation.
APPROPRIATION:
$1,000,000.00
Effective Date: 7/1/2016 Last Action: 1/27/2016 House - CS passed as amended; YEAS 73 NAYS 45
Location: First Passage
Bill Text: PDF
Sadly this is another example of government for sale. Half a million just bought out our right to a clean and stable environment. This is one that just shouts, "You can't be serious!" But for half a mil you can do it. We are trying to restore the Everglades--this is our water source. Would you drill for oil in your own well, supplying water to your home? Has no one ever questioned why we seem to spawn sink holes so frequently? We are upsetting the environment whenever it is profitable for certain interests. Fracking puts benzene, a known carcinogen, in the ground water. Is it really so profitable to destroy a pristine tourist mecca for a few oil dollars?
ReplyDeleteThe following paragraph shows the caliber of the argument:
"But, he said, the state has seen similar controversies — such as whether to allow for alternate current electricity into homes, which was banned in some states, whether to allow for automobiles on the state’s roads, and whether to allow submerged lands to help launch astronauts to put man on the moon."
There you have it: benzene in the ground water which ends up in us is just a small price to pay--supposedly just like the price of driving cars on roads. With logic like this you might just as well say "We just purchased this with a large donation so if you disagree, shut up. We bought our rights, you don't have any say."
If your new little friend Ryan in the ill fitting cheap suit really wanted to make a difference in here, he and his EarthFirst! group would protest against fracking - especially here in Florida! Perhaps he, and they would benefit from a refresher lesson in our special geology here and where we get our water from. I think it is criminal to allow chemicals to be injected into these wells - our porous limestone lined aquifers will allow the toxics to migrate into the aquifers and poison our water supply. Can we as a state take a lesson from the Flint, Michigan disaster - allowing toxics like lead to leach into your drinking water is an outrage, and any elected official allowing it should be make to drink from that tap while they sit behind bars.
ReplyDeleteTake your crappy personal attacks somewhere else...preferably to that other blog that thrives on your type of rhetoric.
ReplyDeleteNext, I would say that the candidates should be concentrating on local issues. I don't see any purpose of even talking about global warming, as an example.
I did a blog on Fracking. It has become a political hot potato and it just passed in Tallahassee (HB 191) to proceed with it. I guess you missed it.
http://lynn-a.blogspot.com/2016/01/anti-fracking-resolution-on-agenda.html