Freedumb For Texans, Who Will Now Enjoy Benefits Of Zero Local Regulation Of Fracking

[hatrack]

Saying Texas needs to avoid a “patchwork of local regulations” that threaten oil and gas production, Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday signed legislation that would pre-empt local efforts to regulate a wide variety of drilling-related activities. “This bill is so incredibly important,” the Republican said at a state Capitol ceremony. Flanked by the measure's sponsors, he said House Bill 40 does a “profound job of protecting private property rights.”

EDIT

Energy companies and industry groups support the bill, whose preamble states that the act “expressly pre-empts regulation of oil and gas operations by municipalities and other political subdivisions.” “House Bill 40 represents balanced legislation that will build upon a 100-year history of cooperation between Texans, their communities, and oil and natural gas operators,” Todd Staples, the former agriculture commissioner and current president of the Texas Oil and Gas Association, said in a statement Monday.

But environmentalists and some local officials worry that the legislation will erode authority cities have long tapped to ensure local health and safety. “By advocating for and signing this bill, Gov. Abbott has succeeded in seizing power away from local governments working to protect us from the real dangers of dirty drilling,” Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas, said in a statement. Critics also claim the bill could add to confusion about what municipalities can regulate, partly because of the bill's broad definition of the “oil and gas operations” in which Texas law trumps local law.

Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, has called the bill “a gold mine for lawyers." The Texas Municipal League, which counts 1,145 Texas cities among its members, was initially among the bill’s fiercest critics — saying it could invalidate local drilling ordinances across Texas. The league softened that message after Darby’s committee added language listing areas cities could still regulate, including fire and emergency response, traffic, lights and noise – but only if such rules were “commercially reasonable.” The language also allows cities to enact some setbacks between drilling sites and certain buildings.

Ed. - my, how generous!

EDIT

https://www.texastribune.org/2015/05/18/abbott-signs-denton-fracking-bill/

[Nihil]

1. "allows cities to enact some setbacks between drilling sites and certain buildings"

No prizes for guessing just how *that* kind, generous "allowance" will be put to use.

Soon to be known as the "Suck it!" bill.