Fracking Ban Bills Moving in Senate: Speaker Corcoran Needs to Schedule House Companion Now
The vision of huge offshore drilling rigs off of our Gulf Coast has re-energized the discussion regarding the appropriateness of certain oil and gas activities in our state. Florida has extensive wetland landscapes like America’s Everglades, sensitive aquifers that provide drinking water for so many, and a valued ecotourism and real estate based economy. Once spoiled, these natural resources and the economy they support, can rarely be fully restored, and when possible, the cost is great. As we saw in the BP oil spill, economies can also be negatively impacted well beyond the site of the pollution.
To protect our natural resources onshore as well, we ask our state legislature to ban fracking and fracking-like activities in Florida this session. This is as urgent a need as the continued efforts to stop offshore drilling in the state. Yet, some may not know that fracking has already occurred in Florida and these techniques can continue to be used at any time. Every year that passes without such legislation, poses increased risks to Florida.
We applaud Senator Dana Young (R-Tampa) and Representative Kathleen Peters (R-Treasure Island) for their leadership in introducing this legislation. We also appreciate the over 30 sponsors to-date, which represent strong bi-partisan support. We also are grateful for Senator Bradley and the first Senate committee who unanimously voted to support this bill moving forward on Monday February 5, 2018.
Unfortunately, as happened last year, we understand that House of Representatives Speaker Richard Corcoran has still not allowed the House companion bill to be scheduled. The bills will need to pass both the Senate and the House in order to become law.
Fracking and fracking-like activities (aka advanced oil well stimulation treatments) pose an enormous risk to Florida’s ecosystem and tourism industry because it can result in surface oil spills, water contamination, and waste freshwater supplies. Not only can fracking threaten our water quality, but these well stimulation treatments waste substantial amounts of our precious -and limited- freshwater supplies. Well stimulation treatments use high volumes of freshwater mixed with toxic chemicals. Any water that returns to the surface after the well stimulation treatment includes trace radioactive elements and briny saltwater from underground. The water cannot be reused to replenish groundwater resources, which is the source of drinking water for over 90% of Floridians.
In contrast, South Florida’s oil resources are of poor quality. Florida only has about 1/10 of 1% of total U.S. oil reserves. The proposed legislation would ban risky well stimulation treatments, but would not infringe on mineral rights owners continuing to utilize conventional methods to access mineral resources, alleviating concerns about legal takings.
Over 90 municipalities in Florida –representing over half of the state’s population- have passed local resolutions or ordinances in support of a fracking ban. This is a major issue of concern for Floridians who do not want to jeopardize the quality and availability of water resources for a one-time industrial use that benefits so few.
The time is now for the citizens of Florida to contact their representatives, and particularly House Speaker Richard Corcoran, to ask for the fracking ban bills (SB462 and HB237) to move forward so that these necessary protections can be signed into law this year.
To learn more about the Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s position on fracking legislation, visit www.conservancy.org/oil.
Fracking expert Dr. Anthony Ingraffea answers questions about fracking in Florida
