FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, March 27, 2017
Contact: Josh Tulkin, (240) 764-5307, josh.tulkin@mdsierra.org
Maryland Legislature Passes Ban on Fracking
General Assembly Agrees with Marylanders on Grave Threat Posed by Fracking
Annapolis, MD - Today, the Maryland Senate passed HB 1325, which will ban hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, within the state. The bill was introduced by Delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo and a companion bill by Senator Bobby Zirkin, and now goes to the Governor’s desk for his signature.
The Senate’s 36-10 bipartisan vote comes after the House of Delegates, which passed the bill on March 11th by an overwhelming 97-40 bipartisan majority. Maryland’s Governor Larry Hogan expressed support for the bill in a press conference on March 17th.
Fracking consists of injecting hundreds of toxic chemicals into the ground, including known carcinogens, neurotoxins, and endocrine disruptors. Research overwhelmingly shows it to cause adverse health outcomes and other harms to human health & the environment. It is also associated with contamination of drinking water. The state’s two and a half year moratorium on fracking was set to expire this October.
In response, Sierra Club Maryland Chapter Director Josh Tulkin released the following statement:
“We commend the Maryland General Assembly for this bipartisan victory, and we thank Governor Hogan for his support, but the real congratulations go the thousands of people across the state, particularly those in Western Maryland, who stood up for their beliefs, who organized, lobbied, and rallied to get this legislation passed. The Sierra Club applauds their efforts and is proud to continue to supporting Western Maryland as it pursues a thriving and sustainable economy and community.
“While this ban is a major victory, fracking is just one step along Maryland’s path to a clean energy economy. With a fracking ban in effect, it is time for Maryland to take a hard look at the Cove Point Liquefied Natural Gas export terminal in Lusby and the construction of several new gas power plants like the one proposed in Brandywine, which are driving demand for new pipelines and compressor stations throughout Maryland.
“As we recognize the harm that fracking could have done to our state, we simultaneously must figure out how to deal with our other sources of dangerous pollution. We need to responsibly phase out our aging coal fleet and replace that capacity with more clean energy and efficiency, especially in our most vulnerable communities. Maryland is on the precipice of a major shift -- the transportation sector is about to be the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state and our governor and legislature must continue to find ways to address this pollution.”
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About the Sierra Club
Founded in 1892, the Sierra Club is America’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization. We have more than 14,000 members in the Maryland Chapter along with an additional 30,000 supporters, and there are over 650,000 Sierra Club members nationwide.