By Johnny Linehan in Fracking Hell (UK)

Countries with a ban or moratorium: France, Bulgaria, South Africa – Germany and the Czech Republic seriously considering it.

Major cities with moratoria or bans: Quebec, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Morganstown, Buffalo. (Pittsburgh is finding it difficult to enact the ban because of ‘variances’ overruling their decisions)

The Northern Ireland Assembly voted 49-30 for a moratorium, but the Minister still has not endorsed it.

Ireland: ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL unanimously support a BAN ON FRACKING

LEITRIM COUNTY COUNCIL voted for a MORATORIUM ON FRACKING

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL unanimously support a BAN ON FRACKING and unanimously voted to amend the county development plan

DONEGAL and SLIGO: BAN ON FRACKING ( 16-01-2012) SLIGO BOROUGH COUNCIL supports the proposal from Clare County Council and Sligo County Council calling on the Government and the Minister for Communications, Energy and natural Resources to BAN the practice of fracking/hydraulic fracturing.

Canada:

British Columbia, Canada:

First Nations people in NW British Columbia enacted a four year moratorium against drilling for natural gas by Royal Dutch Shell in the Sacred Headwaters. Members of the Tahltan First Nation are blockading Shells coal bed methane project in the Sacred Headwaters, the birthplace of the Skeena, Nass and Stikine Rivers.

Nova Scotia, Canada:

Nova Scotia citizens call for ban on Nova Scotia fracking. Graham Hutchinson says the province should impose a moratorium on the controversial practice. The group recently presented a petition to Energy Minister Charlie Parker calling for a ban.

The USA

New York State:

Two legislative bills on hydrofrack drilling were considered by the legislature. The Assembly passed an extension of the current moratorium through June of 2012. The Senate did not act on a parallel bill and the issue is closed for the present.

NYS Executive Order calling for a drilling moratorium by former Governor Paterson has been affirmed by Governor Cuomo.

Yates County resolution unanimously passed calls for similar protection treatment of their watershed as that in NYC and Syracuse watersheds.

The Town of Jerusalem (Yates) enacted a moratorium ordinance for their entire township. The one-year moratorium begins when the Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS) relating to the extraction of natural gas by the process of high-volume hydraulic fracturing now under review by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is finalized.

The Town of Milo is drawing up a moratorium statement for board action.

Dewitt, Tully, Marcellus and Skaneateles have enacted moratoria laws.

Highland, (Sullivan Co) is developing a moratorium statement.

Buffalo has banned hydrofrack drilling and wastewater disposal in their city.

Sullivan County is the first county in New York State to enact a moratorium.

Lumberland (Sullivan Co) is considering a moratorium statement.

Town of Ulysses is establishing industrial zones attempting to restrict the negative impact of drilling in their water supply.

Tompkins County has enacted a ban on fracking on county land.

Broome County: Ban on hydrofracking on county lands. Waste restrictions for fracking cuttings and flow back water established.

Ontario, Sullivan and Onondaga Counties have enacted bans on fracking on county owned land.

Ulster County has banned hydrofrack drilling on county owned lands.

Gorham in Ontario County enacted a moratorium ordinance.

The towns that ring Cooperstown’s reservoir, Otsego Lake — Middlefield, Otsego, Butternuts, and Cherry Valley — are moving to ban or restrict natural gas drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing.

Springfield has adopted local laws prohibiting heavy industry, including gas drilling.

The Medical Society of the State of New York has gone on record supporting a moratorium on gas drilling using high volume hydraulic fracturing.

Cooperstowns Chamber of Commerce has issued a position statement supporting a total ban on fracking due to the impact it will make on their watershed, farming and tourism.

A group of residents have launched a petition drive designed to ban the use of high-volume, slick water hydraulic fracturing in the Town of Caroline, Tompkins County.

The Village of Penn Yan will not accept any hydrofracking wastewater for processing at the village wastewater treatment plant.

New York City has called on the US Congress to remove hydrofrack drillings exemption from the Safe Water Drinking Act.

The Skaneateles Town Board has initiated plans for a ban in their township.

The Otsego County Planning Board approved changes to Middlefield’s master plan and zoning law that would specifically prohibit heavy industry, including gas and oil drilling.

The Board of Trustees of Bassett Medical Center, based in Cooperstown, New York, views the issue of hydrofracking as a public health issue of the highest priorityand resolves that the hydrofracking method of gas drilling constitutes an unacceptable threat to the health of patients, and should be prohibited until such time as it is proven to be safe.

A consortium of interested citizens is planning for a unified moratorium and eventual ban of hydrofrack drilling in the entire Keuka Lake watershed region. To date the towns of Barrington, Milo and Jerusalem have adopted ordinances on a moratorium. Wayne has prepared a resolution for consideration.

Lebanon town board members adopted a memorializing resolution that calls on the New York State Legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo to repeal and reform compulsory integration laws in the State of New York that currently govern natural gas development.

A petition drive has resulted in the Dryden Town Board unanimously passing a resolution to move forward with an ordinance to ban fracking.

The Croton Watershed Clean Water Coalition, Inc. has sued the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in New York State Supreme Court to declare High Volume Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing in New York State Forests contrary to the New York State Constitution and applicable environmental laws.

The Otsego Town Board clarified a long-standing prohibition against heavy industry, including fracking for natural gas, in the town’s land use law. By this vote the town, which includes most of the Village of Cooperstown, reaffirmed its home rule right to prohibit drilling through local ordinance. They also approved revisions to its land-use law that strengthen a ban on gas drilling and hydrofracking within the town. The law now specifies that while the removal of gravel, rock, stone, sand, fill, topsoil or “unconsolidated” minerals has been allowed, extraction of natural gas and petroleum is not permitted.

The Common Council of Oneonta voted to ban all forms of natural gas drilling in city limits.

The Town of Wales adopted a community rights ordinance that bans fracking. The ordinance establishes a Bill of Rights for Wales residents and recognizes and secures certain civil and political rights of the residents to govern themselves and protect themselves from harm to their persons, property and environment.

The exploration of land for natural gas by horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing is prohibited in the Town of Camillus.

Brighton became the first municipality in Monroe County to take a position on hydrofrack drilling calling for a state-wide moratorium.

Kirkland has adopted a one-year moratorium on hydrofracking.

New Hartford has adopted a six-month moratorium on hydrofrack drilling for natural gas.

Pennsylvania:

Pittsburgh adopts the first-in-the-nation community rights ordinance which elevates the right of the community to decide, and the rights of nature over the rights associated with corporate personhood. The City Council unanimously adopted this ordinance banning corporations from conducting natural gas drilling in the city.

Luzerne County Lehman Township, ordinance calling for home rule and a ban on drilling within their surrounding township area.

The Board of Supervisors for Licking Township, Clarion County, PA, voted unanimously on Wednesday to adopt an ordinance banning corporations from dumping fracking wastewater in the township. The Licking Township Community Water Rights and Self-Government Ordinance is the first ordinance of its kind adopted in Pennsylvania to confront the threat of Marcellus Shale drilling.

Cresson has enacted legislation banning fracking.

Washington Township has banned fracking.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania City Council unanimously passed the pro-moratorium Resolution on Marcellus Shale Drilling Environmental and Economic Impacts.

The Borough Council of West Homestead, Pennsylvania, unanimously adopted an ordinance that enacts a Local Bill of Rights, along with a prohibition on natural gas extraction to protect those rights. The bill, titled West Homestead Boroughs Community Protection from Natural Gas Extraction Ordinance; establishes specific rights of West Homestead residents, including the Right to Water, the Rights of Natural Communities, the Right to a Sustainable Energy Future, and the Right to Community Self-Government.

Philadelphia refuses to purchase Marcellus Shale gas as the dumping of flow back waters is polluting their water supply.

Collier Township upgraded its natural gas drilling ordinance to enhance their Marcellus Shale ordinance that would push drillers farther away from schools and provide baseline measurements for noise levels at drilling sites.

United Methodists representing 950 churches across central and Northeast Pennsylvania passed a resolution calling for a temporary halt in gas well drilling in the Marcellus Shale as well as an impact tax on those places where drilling already has taken hold.

Religious groups such as the Sisters of Saint Francis of Philadelphia have advocated against fracking and in April, 2011, America, the national magazine of the Jesuits editorialized very critically about the process.

Baldwin Borough Council adopted a community rights ordinance that bans the corporate extraction of natural gas.

Arkansas:

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against companies that drill for natural gas in central Arkansas. The suit is asking for millions of dollars in relation to the earthquakes associated with the fracking process the companies use. The damages enumerated in the suit are property damage, loss of fair market value in real estate, emotional distress, and damages related to the purchase of earthquake insurance.

Maryland:

The first community in Maryland, Mountain Lake Park, adopted an ordinance banning corporations from natural gas drilling.

Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler has sent a letter to Chesapeake Energy Corporation and its affiliates, notifying the companies of the State of Maryland’s intent to sue for violating the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA).

Governor Martin O’Malleyhas signed an executive order for a three year moratorium on drilling in MD while studies continue.

New Jersey:

The New Jersey Assembly voted to ban hydraulic fracturing in NJ in a bipartisan overwhelming vote (58 to 11, 8 abstained), following the landslide vote 32-1 earlier in the day by the NJ Senate. New Jersey is the first state legislature to ban fracking.

Ohio:

Wellsburg City Council approved an ordinance prohibiting natural gas drilling in or within one mile of the city as concerns mounted about the city’s water being contaminated by procedures in hydrofrack drilling. A reservoir serving the city is beside property that Chesapeake Energy is leasing for drilling.

Virginia:

George Washington National Forest has disallowed horizontal drilling for natural gas within its 1.1 million acres of territory while opening up segments of the forest to the potential for wind energy construction.

Texas:

Texas Gov. Rick Perry has signed a bill requiring drillers to publicly disclose the chemicals they use when extracting oil and gas from dense rock formations, the first state to pass such a law.

West Virginia:

Wellsville has banned fracking.

Lewisburg has banned fracking within their city limits.

Morgantown banned fracking in the city and within one mile of the city limits as well.