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Fracking
Lawmakers will have the final say on whether "fracking," the common name for a group of practices that involves using horizontal drilling and explosives to drill for natural gas, becomes legal in North Carolina. STATUS: Senate Bill 76, setting fees and allowing the state to issue permits for fracking, has bee approved by the Senate. It is now pending in the House Commerce Committee.
For now, much of the action around hydraulic fracturing and drilling for natural gas in North Carolina is in the hands of the appointed Mining and Energy Commission, which will set rules to safeguard the environment, such as how chemicals used in the process will be disclosed.
However, hydraulic fracturing cannot move forward without legislative approval. Specifically, lawmakers must lift a moratorium on the practice of horizontal drilling. Given the current timeline, it's unlikely the Mining and Energy Commission will finish its work in time for lawmakers to make that decision in 2013. However, the issue has been a high profile one and therefore bears watching.
Bills and status:
Senate Bill 76 was filed on Feb. 11. The measure would allow the North Carolina Mining and Energy Commission to start issuing permits for fracking on March 1, 2015. This lifts the current moratorium on fracking that is now in law. The bill also encourages offshore drilling. The bill cleared the Senate Finance Committee on Feb. 13. The Senate Commerce Commerce Committee approved the measure on Feb. 21. It is scheduled for a floor vote in the Senate on Tuesday, Feb. 26.
(Update 2/27/13): The bill has received tentative approval from the Senate. A second vote is expected 2/27, which will send the measure to the House.
(Update 3/4/13): The bill has been passed by the Senate and is pending in the House Committee on Commerce.
The Senate gave key approval Tuesday to legislation rolling back some of the safeguards in the state's natural gas drilling law.
The Senate Commerce Committee is expected to vote Thursday on a proposal to roll back some of the safeguards in the state's natural gas drilling law.
Environmental advocates worry lawmakers could be setting aside too little money to clean up accidents from natural gas drilling.
The Mining and Energy Commission could begin issuing drilling permits March 1, 2015 under a measure filed in the Senate today.
Domestic Energy Jobs Act, gas drilling, fracking
Members of the North Carolina Mining and Energy Commission file their statements of economic interest.
Many of the chemicals that gas drilling operations pump into the ground are kept secret, but a state advisory panel said Tuesday that North Carolina should require companies to reveal more about their drilling efforts to the public.
A stakeholders' group advising the state Mining and Energy Commission on fracking regulations meets Tuesday to weigh disclosure requirements.
As state officials study the impact of oil and natural gas exploration in North Carolina, some area cities and towns are adopting ordinances to get ahead of the issue.
Outside groups beging putting pressure on lawmakers who will have to decide whether to override Gov. Bev Perdue's veto.
Gov. Bev Perdue announced Sunday that she has vetoed a controversial proposal to legalize fracking in North Carolina.
The North Carolina General Assembly voted late Monday to override Gov. Bev Perdue's vetoes of the $20.2 billion 2012-13 state budget as well as a controversial measure to legalize fracking.
"I think climate change is a science and I think science is constantly in need of scrutiny," says the incoming DENR secretary.
Geologists say six North Carolina counties have the potential for natural gas production, with the best prospects in Lee County. Getting that gas, using a process called fracking, has divided some local landowners and lawmakers.
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