General Assembly Overrides Veto on Fracking Bill

As of Tuesday, July 3, 2012

The N.C. General assembly on Monday voted to override Gov. Bev Perdue's veto of legislation that would allow North Carolina to drill for natural gas through a controversial process known as fracking.

Late Monday night, the House overrode the veto by a razor-thin margin only after a Democratic lawmaker who said she pushed the wrong button in favor of the measure was not allowed to change her vote, according to The News & Observer of Raleigh. The Senate, earlier in the day, also voted to override the veto.

Perdue said in a statement Sunday announcing the veto that she did not think the legislation went far enough to protect the environment.

“I support energy policies that create jobs and lower costs for businesses and families,” Perdue said. “Our drinking water and the health and safety of North Carolina’s families are too important; we can’t put them in jeopardy by rushing to allow fracking without proper safeguards.

It would take a three-fifths majority in both the House and Senate to override the veto of Senate Bill 820. In the Senate, that would be 30 votes and in the House, at least 72 if all the members were present. Neither side had reached those numbers in approving the legislation.

House Speaker Thom Tillis and Senate leader Phil Berger, in a joint statement, called the veto a “flip-flop,” The News & Observer reported. They said the General Assembly incorporated many of the governor’s recommendations in crafting the legislation.

Environmental groups praised Perdue for vetoing the bill. Critics of the legislation said it does not allow enough time to develop rules and regulations to ensure families, communities and the environment will be protected from the risks associated with natural gas development.

State Rep. Jamie Boles, who represents most of Moore County, supported the legislation. He said last month that the General Assembly worked closely with the governor’s office to send her a bill with growing bipartisan support.

The bill gives the governor four appointees to a new Mining and Energy Commission. He pointed out that the governor had none in previous versions.

The General Assembly would have to approve all new regulations and standards before any drilling and fracking permits could be issued. That vote could at least be two years away.

The bill directs the commission and several state agencies to study the impacts and develop the regulations by October 2014.

Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as “fracking,” is germane to northern Moore County, which lies atop the Deep River Basin, where state geologists initially believed a 40-year supply of natural gas exists.

But a recently released U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment showed that the Deep River Basin has an amount of natural gas equivalent to 5.6 years of usage based on 2010 consumption rates in North Carolina.

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Poundman 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Great news!!

JD 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Good.

FightFireWithFire 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Awesome!

NewspaperReader 10 months, 3 weeks ago

There is more than enough ignorance to go around on the subject of fracking.

NotSoFast 10 months, 3 weeks ago

I dislike Bev beyond belief, but I have to give her thumbs up on this one.

Arestorer 10 months, 3 weeks ago

One of the very few good things She's done..

SH59 10 months, 3 weeks ago

The Gas companies need to be reined in and be made to take more responsibility for their mistakes and stop trying to hide the nastier side of their practices in the small print of their contracts.

coffecreme 10 months, 3 weeks ago

She finally did something that took guts!

OldSpook 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Well, there goes a whole bunch of easy money down the drain just because some people want clean drinking water and land that will produce vegatation. Well done Madam Governor, the correct answer to a tough choice. Thank you.

dlb 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Hope for mild winters and wool blankets.

teufelhunden 10 months, 3 weeks ago

I am so glad that she used some foresight regarding this matter. The health and safety of our people is paramount. Maybe she watched Erin Brockovich the night before? ;) Anyway good show Gov!

alladat1 10 months, 3 weeks ago

NewspaperReader - My most trusted source for environmental issues is Popular Mechanics.

Spocks_Brain 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Totally illogical-if you remember in 'Arena' Jim Kirk fought Gorn-and was able to utilize the resources that could be found on or near the surface of the planet, to defeat Gorn. Natural Gas is organic-think logically-but do it safely. Remember, Earth is a small rock 93 mm miles from the Sun and its cold out there! On another note and I hate to be emotional here, but this Governor you have here, needs to be put on a prison planet

clarabelle 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Spocks_Brain - perhaps you should use another "alias" - perhaps Spocks_A$#"

JD 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Pat McCory, the mayor of Charlotte, who at the same time was a paid advisor to Duke Energy. Go figure how that conflict was never tried in court. It will be a sad day in November if he takes the election...

We might end up like Lowellville Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio. Oil companies are now buying cemeteries to remove the dead and frack in their final resting place for the shale and gas deposits below.

Arestorer 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Still cant beleive people love money more than life....

OldSpook 10 months, 3 weeks ago

JD, Help me out here with that Cemetery thing. As I understand it, when we buy our plots, we are the legal owners of that piece of property and our relatives/appointees have oversight of our remains. If my family owns the plot, how can the oil company buy the cemetary (without my family/apointee approval) and relocate my remains? To me this seems like somebody selling my house out from under me and then expecting me to move without a fuss while they pocket the money. I'm not doubting you as I understand that gas companies own more people in Washington DC than any other lobby, but desecration of a grave (cemetary) seems a little low even for a lawyer to condone.

clarabelle 10 months, 3 weeks ago

"Arestorer - Still cant beleive people love money more than life...."

well said!

General Assembly Overrides Veto on Fracking Bill

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