TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Some but not all forms of fracking to explore for oil and natural gas would be banned in Florida under a bill that has cleared a state Senate committee.
The legislation was approved on a 3-2 vote Monday by the Senate Agriculture Committee. Only New York, Vermont and Maryland have enacted bans on fracking, which uses high-pressure liquids to create cracks in underground rock to allow pockets of oil and gas to flow freely.
Environmental groups and other opponents say the Florida fracking bill would still permit exploration using acids that dissolve rock and could contaminate crucial groundwater supplies. Supporters of this technique say it is safe and has mainly been used to clean out wells.
A similar bill is pending in the House.
