Bill would support fracking in South Dakota

On January 31, 2012 — No comments

State lawmakers want energy developers to know that hydraulic fracturing, a controversial method of recovering oil and gas from subsurface shale, is welcome in South Dakota.

A single-paragraph bill introduced Wednesday in the House of Representatives would provide that fracking, as the practice is known, “is deemed an acceptable recovery process in this state.”

Rep. Lora Hubbel, R-Sioux Falls, characterized the bill as a “starting point for people who want to go down that avenue.”

“A lot of times, bills are brought to get information out there, to get people talking,” said Hubbel, who is one of 68 cosponsors on the measure (five are Democrats).

The technique involves pumping a mixture of water, sand and chemicals downwell at high pressures to fracture rock formations in order to loose the oil or gas contained within. Fracking has opened new frontiers in energy development, driving natural gas prices to historic lows, but it has drawn fire amid allegations of polluted groundwater.

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