Bartonville Town Council members voted unanimously Tuesday to consider placing a moratorium on new gas drilling permits, hydraulic fracturing permits, and the use of chemicals in the fracking process.
Fracking a gas well requires between two and five million gallons of local freshwater, and a mix of sand and chemicals. The chemical component is typically not disclosed by drilling companies, but critics say that diesel fuel, formaldehyde, acetic acids, citric acids, and boric acids, among others, are utilized on a regular basis
The council’s action comes on the heals of the town being listed by the Environmental Protection Agency as a possible study site to measure the impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources.
The town’s Planning and Zoning Commission will hold two public hearings on the proposed ordinance – on Thursday, March 24, at 7:15 p.m. and Wednesday, March 30, at 7:00 p.m. – at Bartonville Town Hall, 1941 E Jeter Road. The town council will then vote on the moratorium at their April meeting.
Contact the town for more information at 817-430-4052.
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