The controversial subject of hydraulic fracturing or fracking was back before the Butte County Board of Supervisors Tuesday. While the board refused to ban fracking in December, on Tuesday it moved to ban the storage or dumping of fracking waste in the county.
Officials have insisted that very little, if any, hydraulic fracturing is going on in the county. Local underground geological formations are not conducive to the process and experts doubt much oil or gas is hiding beneath the surface.
Supporters of the earlier ban demanded officials protect local groundwater from potential risks of contamination. Opponents said a ban was premature.
Tuesday’s move represents a victory, of sorts, for fracking opponents. While fracking remains entirely legal, it may prove cost prohibitive for any future driller to transport large amounts of wastewater out of the county to a dump site.