Texas City of Denton Repeals Citizens-Supported Fracking Ban

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — In November 2014, 59 percent of voters in Denton backed the bill prohibiting fracking within city limits amid rising concerns that the oil-and-gas-extraction technique would cause serious harm to the environment. The Texas Oil & Gas Association and the Texas General Land Office sued the city in response.

On May 18, Texas governor Greg Abbott signed the House Bill 40 into law, making it the state’s prerogative to decide whether or not to allow fracking in cities.

“The Denton City Council voted 6-1 to amend to repeal Initiative Ordinance No. 2014-01, known as the hydraulic fracturing ban. As this ban has been rendered unenforceable by the State of Texas in HB 40, it is in the overall interest of the Denton taxpayers to strategically repeal the ordinance,” a statement, published on the official website of the city of Denton, reads.

The City Council stressed that the decision was arrived at after taking into account all the residents' concerns and the long-term interests of the city.

Fracking is the practice of using high-pressure injections of water, sand and toxic chemicals into underground shale formations to extract natural resources. A number of researchers believe that fracking can cause serious damage to the environment, and even trigger minor earthquakes.