Great news! The Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Fee bill has passed out of the House of Delegates with a vote of 88-49.
House Bill 1204/ Senate Bill 798 requires energy companies to fund studies related to drilling “best practices” and environmental protection in western Maryland before an unconventional form of natural gas extraction known as “fracking” can begin in our state. In other states, the fracking drilling method has been linked to a wide range of impacts, including minor earthquakes and flammable drinking water.
Last spring, Governor O’Malley created a commission tasked with scrutinizing the impacts of fracking, but the governor lacks the power to fund the commission’s work. And without any devoted funding, the commission is simply a paper tiger, unable to conduct a thorough fracking study. This bill will give the commission the funds it needs.
We need your help. If passed, this would be a landmark bill, making Maryland the first state in America to study the safety of natural gas fracking before approving the practice within state boarders.
The Maryland House of Delegates passed the bill, now let’s make sure the Senate does the same. Please click here to send an email in support of SB798!
