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| More than 150 people across from the Governor's Mansion last week called for a veto of the bill. (Photo via the Charlotte Observer) |
Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue of North Carolina today vetoed a bill that would have put hydraulic fracturing in the state under control of a board half made up of members "with ties to mining or natural-gas production," Dan Kane of the Raleigh News & Observer reports. An override would require three-fifths votes, which the bill did not get in the House or Senate.
"Perdue said in a statement that she did not think the legislation went far enough to protect the environment," Kane writes. "Five weeks ago, Perdue issued an executive order that outlined her approach to allowing fracking in an environmentally safe way that included input from health, environment and public-safety officials."
Republicans note that fracking would boost jobs and promote energy independence. Environmentalists say it isn't worth the risk, and point to a new U.S. Geological Survey "estimate of far less natural gas in the state than state geologists had previously thought existed," Kane notes. "The federal estimate said the state has 1.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Deep River Basin, which covers 150 miles from Durham to the South Carolina border. If the estimate is accurate, the deposits amount to about 5.6 years of usage based on 2010 consumption in North Carolina." (Read more)
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