Gov. Larry Hogan signed into law a ban on hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, in oil and gas production in Maryland, said the Associated Press. “Supporters of the ban said it was the first in the nation approved by a legislature in a state that has natural gas underground.”
A state moratorium on fracking will expire in October, which is when the new law takes effect. Two neighboring states, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, allow fracking. Opponents say fracking, which breaks up rock to release natural gas, can contaminate water supplies and cause earthquakes. An EPA report last December said fracking “can impact drinking water resources in the United States under some circumstances” but there are not enough data to fully assess the potential impact.
“Supporters of fracking contended it could have created jobs in the western part of the state that sits atop the Marcellus Shale, which runs underground from New York to Tennessee,” said the AP. The decision to ban fracking was a bipartisan moment in Maryland politics. The Legislature is controlled by Democrats while the governor is a Republican.