California Senators Push Fracking Ban, Extraction-Free Zones (1)

Two California state senators want to ban fracking and prevent oil and gas extraction from occurring within 2,500 feet of sites such as schools and prisons.

A bill by Democratic Sens. Scott Wiener and Monique Limón would stop the issuance or renewal of permits for hydraulic fracturing and other intensive extraction methods in 2022 and ban them altogether in 2027. The restrictions include acid well stimulation, cyclic steaming and other methods the lawmakers call “extreme.”

SB 467 will be amended after 30 days to add the 2,500-foot buffer, which states including Texas and Oklahoma have, Wiener said.

“These oil extraction ...