Legislation opponents say will pave the way for large-scale hydraulic fracking in Kentucky sailed through a Senate committee Wednesday. This comes a day after a House panel approved identical legislation.
Senate Bill 186, which lays out new regulations on oil and gas reclamation, is now on its way to the full chamber. But that’s without the input of some key voices according to some Kentucky landowners.
David Tipton is an organic farmer in Madison County who wants to see a two-year moratorium, would he says would allow for "the community, as well as individuals who have not been a part of this process, such as geologists, who may have concerns in regard to earthquakes, health department people [who] really look at the health impacts that could occur here, and the environmentalists" to further study the issue.
Supporters, however, say it’s time to move forward with recommendations produced by a 2014 working group composed of state officials, along with the Kentucky Resources Council, the Chamber of Commerce, the Environmental Quality Commission, the Kentucky Farm Bureau, and the Kentucky Oil and Gas Association.
