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Environmentalists Say Bill To Ban Fracking... Doesn't

Chris Carlson
/
AP Photo
Credit Chris Carlson / AP Photo
/
AP Photo

In November, voters agreed to change The Florida Constitution to ban fracking. A bill moving through the legislature sort of implements that.

A Senate bill that sponsors say bans fracking passed the Innovation, Industry and Technology committee Tuesday. But Miami Garden Democratic Senator Oscar Braynon voted down on the bill, saying it doesn’t ban all types of fracking.

“I would say the devils in the details but it’s not even details it’s just right there in your face, it’s that matrix acidizing is allowed. And every other banning bill we had it was not. And it is a method that we use to do what is considered damaging fracking here in Florida. So if you don’t ban that then you don’t ban fracking," said Braynon. 

Naples Republican Senator Kathleen Passidomo voted to pass the bill. She thinks it’s a work in progress.

“It troubles me that someone comes up and says, ‘Vote no against a bill because it doesn’t do everything we want it to do.’ It will never do everything everyone wants it to do. But what we need to do is move it along so that it can do what most of us think is the right thing to do," said Passidomo.

The measure has two committee stops to go. Meanwhile a bill that bans matrix acidizing hasn’t come up for discussion in weeks.

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Blaise Gainey is a Multimedia Reporter for WFSU News. Blaise hails from Windermere, Florida. He graduated from The School of Journalism at the Florida A&M University. He formerly worked for The Florida Channel, WTXL-TV, and before graduating interned with WFSU News. He is excited to return to the newsroom. In his spare time he enjoys watching sports, Netflix, outdoor activities and anything involving his daughter.