On December 2, 2015, House
Bill No. 191, sponsored by Florida Representative
Ray Wesley Rodrigues and introduced on September 17, 2015, was referred to the Florida
Affairs Committee. If enacted, HB 191 would preempt local attempts to regulate
hydraulic fracturing for shale oil and gas extraction and would declare all
existing or future local ordinances or regulations related to oil and gas
activities.
Additionally, HB 191
would require the state legislature to adopt new rules as to natural gas
extraction involving high-pressure well stimulation to ensure natural resources
protection. Furthermore, HB 191 would commission the state’s Department of
Environment Protection (DEP) to conduct a study assessing the potential impacts
and risks from high-pressure well stimulation on the environment. Florida DEP
would receive $1 million from the General Revenue Fund to perform this
assessment. This study should be released in June 2017 to the Governor, the
President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
If passed, HB 191 would
become effective on July 1, 2016, and could potentially open the door to
unconventional resources production in Florida.
Written by Chloe Marie - Research Fellow
12/04/2015
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