Statewide Rallies Urge Governor DeSantis to Keep His Word, Make Florida Fracking Ban Reality

Tallahassee, FL - Today’s statewide rallies coincided with the one-year anniversary of Governor Ron DeSantis’ Executive Order which advised the Department of Environmental Protection to “adamantly oppose” fracking in the state of Florida. Beyond the suggestion in the order, neither the Governor nor the legislature have outrightly banned fracking in the year since. Today, dozens of advocates and activists demanded that DeSantis make his campaign promise a reality by ordering a concrete fracking ban to protect public health and water in Florida.

Headed by the Floridians Against Fracking coalition (FLAF), which includes Food & Water Action, ReThink Energy Florida, and Earth Ethics & Environment Florida, among others, statewide rallies gave community members a chance to speak out about the perils of fracking, and their outrage that the dangerous practice is still allowed in Florida. Fracking, an unconventional drilling practice which pumps water, sand and toxic chemicals into the ground to extract oil and gas, threatens Florida’s aquifers, streams and rivers. The process poses serious health threats and can contaminate drinking water. Floridians care about their water and are rising up to say they have had enough.

“Our fantastic turnout across the state today shows that Floridians are serious and passionate about seeing a fracking ban put in place this year,” says Brooke Errett, an organizer with Food & Water Action and one of the leaders of the Floridians Against Fracking coalition. “As an elected official who campaigned on the promise of a fracking ban, Governor DeSantis owes it to us, our communities, and our children to put public health before corporate profits and ban fracking now.”