With tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in new revenue at stake, a group of House Republicans today called for a House vote on a bi-partisan fracking agreement currently stuck in the Rules Committee.Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly referred to as fracking, is the extraction of natural gas and oil from the earth through horizontal drilling. The extraction technique involves injecting water, sand and chemicals into rock to release the natural gas.
More than a year of negotiations involving both energy and environmental organizations resulted in a bi-partisan agreement that permits high volume fracking while enforcing some of the nation’s strictest water and air protections. House Bill 2615 establishes the permit process, property owner notification, defines prevention standards and public input timelines. With widespread agreement and more than 50 bi-partisan House sponsors, Republican Representatives today called for the measure to be released from the Rules Committee for prompt consideration by the full House.