States and other smaller jurisdictions are saying no to fracking. More than 150 towns, cities, and counties across the U.S. have already adopted such policies. A number of US jurisdictions have passed laws forbidding fracking. Some have even mandated that up to one-third of their power must come from renewable sources by 2020.
After a thorough investigation the state of New York State banned fracking at the start of 2015. Maryland has put a moratorium on the practice and Maryland county became the first in the state to ban fracking outright.
Counties and towns in California, Ohio, and Texas banned fracking. Texas may be the home of oil but the town of Denton voted to ban fracking.
Residents voted to ban fracking in counties and towns in California including Mendocino and San Benito. Santa Barbara failed get enough votes due largely to Chevron Corporation and Occidental Petroleum who spent $7.7 million to prevent the anti-fracking plebiscites in California from succeeding.
Fifty-seven percent of voters in San Benito voted against fracking in a referendum. In places like Mendocino the vote was not even close with 75 percent of voters opting to ban fracking and protect their water. Seventy-eight percent citizens of Athens, Ohio, voted to ban fracking.
Similar efforts are underway across the US. In March, a small town in Western Pennsylvania legalized civil disobedience to combat fracking.
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