Fracking opponents attempted to turn up the heat Monday, a day ahead of a major House debate.
Fracking landed on most people’s radar when an HBO documentary called “GasLand” showed images of flaming tap water. Pennsylvania homeowner Ray Kemble was in it -- and he came to Tallahassee to share his fracking nightmare with lawmakers.
Kemble says his tap water doesn’t ignite, but it went cloudy and started stinking to high heaven not long after fracking began in his rural neighborhood.
“Take two assess of a skunk, throw it in a blender. Take every household chemical you can think of, throw it in the blender. Take some industrial stuff, throw that in the blender. Put it on puree and dump it back out and take a whiff.”
The House is likely Tuesday to pass a pro-fracking bill by Republican Representative Ray Rodrigues of Fort Myers. It requires permits and threatens stiff fines. But Environmental Caucus of Florida activist Amy Datz says fines are meaningless.
“You can’t go out to the aquifer store and buy a new aquifer.”
A Senate panel watered down a companion measure on Monday. Prospects for the legislation in that chamber appeared to dim when Republican Tom Lee of Stuart, the appropriations chairman, expressed his concerns about that bill.
