Assemblymember Betsy Butler (D) has announced a new bill that would halt the practice of hydraulic fracturing in California until the controversial practice can be tracked and regulated.
Butler, in a Monday press release, wrote that the process is not currently regulated or tracked in the state and that it's unknown how many wells are currently using it.
The process pushes pressurized fluid into the ground, creating fractures that enable natural gas and oil to escape into the well, thus making it possible to extract them. The process has come under question because of the environmental damage that can occur, although proponents say that the process also makes it significantly easier to extract greater quantities of oil and natural gas.
Butler represents the 53rd Assembly District, which includes Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Venice, Marina Del Rey, and the cities of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach.
