Broaden the ban in the bills.
That’s the call of the environmental activists, elected officials and business leaders who joined April 4 in a statement supporting a comprehensive fracking ban in Florida.
More than 150 officeholders and more than 235 representatives from businesses in the state signed letters calling for a comprehensive ban, according to Food and Water Watch, a national nonprofit focused on accountability relating to food, water and corporate overreach.
“Fracking anywhere in Florida is fracking everywhere in Florida,” said Brooke Errett, a Florida organizer with Food and Water Watch.
Bills to ban some forms of fracking have advanced in the Legislature, which convened in early March, but none would prohibit “matrix acidizing,” a process in which highly concentrated chemicals go into wells to dissolve the earth and stimulate production.
The letters, delivered April 4 to the Bradenton office of Senate President Bill Galvano, encouraged the Republican to lead lawmakers to pass a comprehensive ban — this year, before the regular session concludes May 3.
The letter from officeholders included the signatures of Manatee County Commissioners Carol Whitmore, Betsy Benac, Vanessa Baugh and Misty Servia. Whitmore, an at-large representative, grew up on Anna Maria Island and served as mayor and commissioner in Holmes Beach.
Holmes Beach Commissioners Carol Soustek and Pat Morton also signed the letter, as did Anna Maria Commissioners Amy Tripp, Carol Carter, Doug Copeland and Brian Seymour.
As of April 4, no one from Bradenton Beach had signed the letter, which stated, in part, “Despite growing concerns, the oil industry is pushing to drill in local communities around the state. Without a statewide fracking ban, there are few protections in place to stop those conventional drilling wells from turning into fracking wells.”
The signers also united in this statement: “Fracking requires several million gallons of water for each well and is a significant threat to water quality and availability in Florida. Our aquifers do not have enough water to spare for the massive amount of water needed to frack.”
Here’s a summary — from Food and Water Watch — of the problems with fracking:
• Fracking water contamination destroys drinking water.
• Fracking produces massive volumes of toxic and radioactive waste, and the disposal of the waste causes earthquakes and puts drinking water resources at risk.
• Fracking pumps hazardous pollutants into the air — more than 100 chemicals known to cause illnesses, including cancer.
• Fracking destabilizes the climate, as the wells release large amounts of methane gas, which is known to trap 87 times more heat than carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in the decades after it is emitted.
• Fracking causes accidents, leaks and spills. More than 7,500 accidents related to fracking occurred in 2013, negatively impacting water quality in rivers, streams and shallow aquifers.
Industry already has fracked in Collier County, and permits are being sought for fracking operations in Calhoun and Santa Rosa counties.
Officials in 90 municipalities in the state have passed measures against fracking, but supporters say the Legislature needs to enact a statewide ban to protect Florida’s natural resources and economies, specifically the tourism base.
Local business representatives who signed a second letter include Walter Jenkins of H2Global, Charlotte Mansor of Mr. Bones BBQ, Joseph and Christofer Dale of The Feast Restaurant, Kelly Headley of Cove, Julie Kirkwood of Segs by the Sea, Terrence Keith of Back Alley Treasures, Deborah Myers of Bridge St. Interiors and Tracey Cusack of Cream of AMI.
An April 4 request from The Islander to Galvano’s office for comment was not returned as of press time.
This column was published in The Islander newspaper.
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