Fracking Bans & Moratoriums

Fracking is an under-regulated, highly contaminative, and unsustainable practice. Because major decisions about large-scale fracking projects are unaddressed by the federal government (since profitable oil companies have utilized their monetary and political capital to keep fracking legal), the anti-fracking movement relies on local action. This brief outlines cities that have banned fracking by explicit ordinances or through other means, such as rewriting zoning laws, narrowing road-use regulations, setting noise limits, or recognizing “critical environmental areas.”