BREAKING: Florida Senate Committee Unanimously Votes to Ban Fracking

Moments ago, the Florida Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation committee chaired by Senator Bradley voted  10- 0 to pass SB 462 to prohibit ‘advanced well stimulation,’ commonly known as fracking. This staunch showing of support for a state-level fracking ban is both unprecedented and significant in the long standing fight to ban the dangerous practice in the Sunshine State.

“Floridians are ready for groundbreaking environmental legislation, and we are thrilled to have such strong leadership in the Florida Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation committee to move our state towards a safer future. It’s finally time for our elected officials to recognize the overwhelming opposition to fracking in Florida by passing a ban bill. Competing bills have been introduced to regulate the practice, ban it, or allow it, but this is the year Florida finally passes a ban and ends the longstanding controversy once and for all.” 

“For the second year in a row, the Senate has shown their commitment to banning fracking because of the real risks it poses to Florida’s water.  Just recently, a Duke study on fracking in Pennsylvania found high levels of radium in river and stream sediment located downstream from the discharge areas of oil wastewater treatment facilities. We cannot and should not allow the fracking industry to take our water and then contaminate our waterways.  Our hope is that Speaker Richard Corcoran stops listening to special interests and lobbyists and finally acts to ban fracking in the state also.”