Florida dodges fracking bullet
A brilliant idea purposed by a Repuke lawmaker gets shot down:
"The bill’s sponsor, Republican state senator Garrett Richter, had presented the measure as one that brought more safeguards to residents, in part through a $1m study by the Florida department of environmental protection. The study would have examined the mechanics and chemicals of hydraulic fracking, and the possible effect on drinking water, and Richter said it would have guided new rules to govern the industry. He also argued there would have been a moratorium on exploratory drilling, at least until the study was complete and the rules drawn up.
But opponents insisted that no study was needed to see the threat that heavy drilling poses to Florida’s porous and fragile limestone bedrock – and to the underground Biscayne Aquifer, the only source of fresh water for more than three million south Florida residents."
Florida, outside of the sunshine and beautiful beaches, has little to offer - fresh water with that limestone aquifer being one of them. Count on a Republican to think of a way to fuck that up. Thanks to the environmentalist , the bill to allow a "study" (and we all know what that means - a "study" by the fracking industry) was stopped. At least stopped for today.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/01/florida-drops-everglades-open-fracking-bill