Could fracking come to Western Massachusetts?
The Massachusetts Senate on Thursday passed a 10-year moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, a move meant to prevent companies from drilling for oil and gas in Western Massachusetts. But experts say the likelihood of companies being interested in fracking in Western Massachusetts is slim.
"It is highly unlikely that it will ever happen in Massachusetts, because we don't have the geology to support it," said Massachusetts State Geologist Stephen Mabee.
The bill, S.2309, would ban fracking and the disposal of byproducts from fracking in Massachusetts from 2017 to 2026. It passed the Senate unanimously and will now move to the House.
The bill was sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Pacheco, D-Taunton, who has been a leader in the Senate on climate change and energy issues.
http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/06/could_fracking_come_to_western.html