Lots of action today in Tallahassee on fracking bans, both in the Senate and in the House.   Some confusion reigned, and some action happened fast.  Amendments were added; some failed and some passed.

After the dust settled, some questions remain unanswered, but some certainties  are evident.

Final note:  things are looking up for those who want no fracking in Florida, and bad for those who would inject poisons into our Earth, trying to become rich while disregarding our pure drinking water, all the while extracting a product we do not need and trying to convince people to the contrary.

Specially designated PBC ANRS 19-01 as written needed an amendment to make it safe, and
Rep. Raschein appeared sincere when she sponsored this bill, which was great except for needing to include the “matrix acidizing” as banned.

Slipping in late and suddenly,  an amendment by Rep. Evan Jenne, would have fixed this loophole, but it was too late to communicate the right info to all committee members, and the 30-odd environmentalists who passionately and logically tried to explain this were not believed, enough so that the amendment would be passed.

So the amendment was not passed, which killed the bill for those who truly understand and oppose fracking in Florida.  The bright side is that hopefully the truth will come out and in the next committees the bill will be fixed and then pass.

Hats off to Rep. Raschein for writing the bill and to Rep. Jenne for trying to make it right.

Bottom line, amendment defeated by a vote of 10-5.  Sans amendment, the bill approved by a vote of 9-6.

But this will be adjusted and we will ban fracking.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, SB 314, sponsored by Sen. Montford, appeared as a fine bill, but required a “study” first, which is anathema to environmentalists, since we have over 900 studies now, and they are absolutely NOT necessary to find out that fracking is bad.  Studies are loopholes allowing the ban to be postponed.

Fortunately, an amendment deleted this unnecessary aspect, and a very fine ban-fracking bill passes unanimously in the Senate.

Thanks to the many who attended, some from far away, to help keep Florida beautiful and well.  All your work is appreciated.

                    
Dave Cullen                                     Amy Datz                         Dr. Ray Bellamy

                   
Dr. Howard Kessler                     Brian Lee                             Kim Ross

     
David Mica, Oil Industry         union representative              Michelle Allen

So, all in all, not a bad start for this “BAN FRACKING SEASON” now open and in effect in the State of Florida.  Fracking lobbyists should take note that many hunters are in the field and frackers are in severe danger of total extinction.

Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
-A river is like a life: once taken, it cannot be brought back-

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