Fracking Fever Hits The South As Lawmakers Push Industry-Friendly Regulations
North Carolina senators are taking an American Legislative Exchange Council-style approach in their efforts to push through legislation that allows oil companies a loophole in regulations requiring disclosure of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, operations.
This week, a state Senate committee approved a version of what is normally an annual environmental housecleaning bill, according to the Associated Press. While the House version of the bill was a mere four pages, the Senate version contained 44 pages and language relating to the regulation of the fracking industry.
The Senates version allows companies to withhold trade secret chemicals used in the drilling process. Similar provisions are seen in model ALEC legislation that has been adopted by states throughout the nation including Florida and, most recently, Illinois.
The regulations came as a surprise to North Carolinians, as the legislature voted earlier this year to create an Energy and Mining Commission, a body whose purpose is to create regulations for the industry. The commissions most recent attempts were axed after Halliburton, a leader in the industry, claimed the regulations were too intense.
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