Seminole County is poised to vote

Ordinance says process poses danger to environment

on banning the controversial practice of petrochemical fracking today.

Seminole County is poised to join the growing number of Florida counties to oppose fracking today, when commissioners are expected to enact a ban on the controversial practice of using chemicals and millions of gallons of water to fracture underground rock formations to tap oil and gas.

The move comes as the state Legislature moves forward on a bill approved by the Florida House last month that would require the state Department of Environmental Protection to study the process and impact of fracking on the state’s geology.

The Department of Environmental Protection would then have to write regulations on fracking for state legislative approval.

Opponents of fracking say that the secret mixture of chemicals — along with large volumes of sand and water — injected into underground rock to free trapped fuels can harm or contaminate the state’s water supplies.

“Aquifer and soil systems in Florida are so fragile that this practice would be an abomination,” Seminole County Commissioner Lee Constantine said. “It’s a risk that we shouldn’t take. … It’s a scary practice that is just unnecessary in Florida.”

According to the proposed Seminole County ordinance, “all oil and gas well stimulation activities,” or fracking, would be prohibited within the county.

“Oil and gas well stimulations involve the use of chemical combinations from a list of hundreds of chemicals, some of which are determined by the Centers for Disease Control [and Prevention] to be carcinogenic or which could otherwise pose a widespread and significant risk to public health, safety and the environment,” according to the proposed ordinance.

If the ordinance is enacted, Seminole County would follow 33 other Florida counties — including Orange and Lake — which recently enacted measures opposing the highpressure drilling technique.

But David Mica, executive director of The Florida Petroleum Council, called Seminole

County’s proposed ban “a bad idea” because it’s unlikely that oil or natural gas companies will bring in heavy equipment to start drilling in Seminole in the foreseeable future.

Central Florida has never shown a significant or profitable supply of underground oil or gas, he said.

Most oil and gas operations in the state are in Florida’s Panhandle and in the southwest corner of the Everglades, he said.

“The extremist environmentalists have propagated a host of scare tactics [about the House bill],” Mica said.

The Florida Association of Counties opposes the Florida House bill because it would prohibit local governments from enacting ordinances or regulations against fracking.

Seminole County Commission Chairman John Horan said that’s another reason why his county is moving forward with its own ordinance before the House bill becomes a law.

“This is about preserving local home rule,” the chairman said. “These land-use decisions should be made by local elected officials. This bill is the state preempting the local governments in this particular area.”

If the House bill becomes law, it would preempt the county’s ban.

“The industry believes in home rule,” Mica said. “But currently oil and gas are regulated at the state level, and we support a continuation of that.”

Horan added that he opposes fracking, but would have to do more research on the process.

“I would not be in favor of fracking in Florida,” the chairman said. “If you’re going to do it, you have to have the right geology.”

Seminole County commissioners are scheduled to consider the proposed fracking ordinance at today’s meeting.

It begins at 1:30 p.m. at 1101 E. First St., in Sanford.