WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The bill was passed with 73 against 45 votes on Wednesday and still needs to be approved by the Senate.
On Tuesday, Food and Water Watch Florida Director Jorge Aguilar told Sputnik that the measure could lead to freshwater contamination and air pollution in the state.
Aguilar referred to a provision in the legislation for a one-year window in which the state would study fracking before issuing permits to use the procedure.
The new measure requires drillers to get a permit before they can begin fracking, but prohibits local governments from instituting bans.
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a process in which liquid is injected into wells at high pressure to break up rock formations that tend to clog underground reservoirs of oil and natural gas.
