The city of Beverley Hills has successfully banned fracking. The leaders of the city council do not believe that fracking is helping their area; it is just making the environment worse. Council member John Mirsch is looking at the long term affects, and does not believe that blasting water and sand into the ground below them and releasing dangerous chemicals is best for the environment. He also hopes that other cities and counties and eventually Governor Jerry Brown will follow in their beliefs and practices.
Environmentalists say there is not safe method for fracking. Also, the US Geological Survey say that there fracking is closely linked to the air and water pollution in California, and around the world. Fracking is also believed to be the cause of the resent increase of earthquakes. On the other hand the California Department of Conservation reports that fracking has been around for more than 30 years, and no problems have been reported.
Lydia, O. (2014, April 24) California City Becomes First To Vote To Ban Fracking. Retrieved September 7, 2014 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/24/beverly-hills-fracking-ban_n_5208377.html
I think that it is good that there are local governments in California that are concerned for the environmental quality under their jurisdiction. It seems to be especially important since this fracking is happening in California near the coast that could be damages and near fault lines that could be disturbed. How big of a concern are earthquakes from fracking and how would the risks compare in California vs say Montana?
Fracking is not the sole cause of earthquakes, but it definitely adds to the pressure building up under the earth’s surface.