City May Ban Fracking

A Los Angeles City Council committee today will consider imposing a moratorium on fracking and other methods used to force oil and natural gas out from deep underground.

The Planning and Land Use Management Committee will take up a proposal to ban hydraulic fracturing, which entails injecting a water and chemical mixture into rock formations at high pressures, creating cracks to release natural gas or oil.

The moratorium would also apply to other “well-stimulation” methods, such as acidizing and gravel-packing.

The motion was introduced in September by council members Paul Koretz and Mike Bonin, who say fracking and other well-stimulation practices could endanger Los Angeles' water supply.

Critics of fracking also link the activity to property damage, air and water pollution and an increased risk of earthquakes.

Some oil production companies operating in the city employ acidizing, which uses corrosive acids to dissolve rock formations around oil deposits in and around Los Angeles communities, according to city officials.

If approved in committee, the full City Council could take a vote on the motion as early as Friday, council aides said.

--City News Service