The Dade City Garden Club is pushing for a resolution that urges state lawmakers to enact a statewide ban on hydraulic fracking.
Pasco County commissioners will vote on the matter, likely on Nov. 17, but the resolution to ban fracking also will include a request for a study commission to look at the pros and cons of the controversial practice.
Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano is the resolution’s sponsor.
During fracking, chemically treated, high-pressure water is pumped into a drilled pipeline to break apart rock formations to extract oil or natural gas.
An opt-out clause is recommended in the resolution to give counties the right to ban fracking even if there’s no statewide ban.
“We do want to have some local control,” Mariano said.
In October, a similar resolution was pulled from the commissioners’ agenda. It was tweaked in the interim with the addition of more specific language regarding sinkholes, the chemicals used in fracking, water quality, and the addition of the study commission.
State legislators are expected to take up the issue during the 2016 session, which begins in January. A bill already is winding its way through subcommittees in Tallahassee.
The bill designates the state’s Department of Environmental Protection as the agency that would investigate and issue permits for fracking.
“That’s the scary part,” said Mariano.
Under the proposed bill, permits may be issued for construction of fracking structures a mile or more from the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, bays, estuaries, or fresh water lakes, streams and rivers. And the state environmental protection agency must be satisfied of adequate protection of natural resources in the event of an accident or blowout.
Supporters of fracking say natural gas is a cleaner source of fuel than coal, and extraction through fracking has fewer safety issues. Opponents say the practice is environmentally harmful, leading to water contamination, public health threats and sinkholes.
The Dade City Garden Club earlier this year went on record against fracking, mirroring a decision by the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Inc., made in January.
“Water quality has long been a concern of garden clubs, said Pat Carver, environmental chairwoman of the garden club, and also water and wetlands District 8 chairwoman.
She cites studies that have shown about 20 percent of the wastewater in fracking migrates underground, and can pollute wells and aquifers.
A bill last year for an outright ban on fracking didn’t make it out of committee, Carver said.
“We hope to see the bill again come up and be heard,” she said.
Carver said Pasco commissioners were shown a video on fracking prior to the anticipated vote on the initial resolution, which was later pulled.
Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said she needed more information.
“My issue is, I’ve heard from one side. I’ve not heard from the other side,” she said. “I’d want to be more educated before I did something.”
The issue is catching the attention of county residents, also.
“I continue to get calls and letters from concerned constituents about fracking,” said Pasco County Commission Chairman Ted Schrader, who serves as chairman of Tampa Bay Water. The regional nonprofit supplies Tampa Bay area municipalities with drinking water.
He noted that the water board recently approved a similar resolution.
“I don’t see what the harm would be in having a resolution,” Schrader said.
Published November 11, 2015
