June 6, 2014

North Carolina To Lift Fracking Ban And Criminalize The Disclosure Of Fracking Chemicals

www.thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/06/05/3445260/north-carolina-fracking-criminalize-chemical-disclosure/
"North Carolina’s Mining and Energy Commission was found earlier this month to have met with energy industry executives — specifically ones from companies that sell chemicals used in fracking — before recommending to North Carolina officials that the state should let mining companies keep their chemical brew a secret. The AP reported that at least three members of the Mining and Energy Commission’s board met with executives from Halliburton and other companies, meetings that aren’t illegal but that some say should have been conducted by the entire board, not just a few members, to ensure transparency.
The law signed by McCrory makes the “unlawful disclosure” of the chemical brew that’s injected into the ground to unlock stores of natural gas a misdemeanor. That’s a downgrade in severity from a previous version of the bill, which would have made it a felony to disclose the chemical mix, which is regarded by several states as a trade secret."