Politics
Politics

Senate approves bill creating fracking regulations in Georgia

Feb. 23 2017 - Atlanta - House Rules Committee Chairman John Meadows, R-Calhoun, speaks from the House well in support of a bill to create new regulations for fracking. Legislation approved in the state House on Thursday would create Georgia’s first new fracking regulations in a generation. The 23nd day of the 2017 Georgia General Assembly. BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM

Credit: Bob Andres

Credit: Bob Andres

Feb. 23 2017 - Atlanta - House Rules Committee Chairman John Meadows, R-Calhoun, speaks from the House well in support of a bill to create new regulations for fracking. Legislation approved in the state House on Thursday would create Georgia’s first new fracking regulations in a generation. The 23nd day of the 2017 Georgia General Assembly. BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM
By
March 24, 2017

A bill that creates new fracking regulations in Georgia gained unanimous approval in the Senate Friday.

House Bill 205, sponsored by House Rules Committee Chairman John Meadows, R-Calhoun, regulates an eight-county region in northwest Georgia prime for fracking — the process of drilling into the earth to extract oil and gas.

The bill, which was carried in the Senate by Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, provides the first updates to fracking regulations in Georgia since the state collected a $25 for the right to search for underground natural gas in 1975.

Because of changes made by a Senate committee, the bill now goes back to the House for review.

About the Author

Michelle Baruchman covers the Georgia House of Representatives and statewide issues. She is a politics news and enterprise reporter covering statewide political stories.

More Stories

Keep Reading

Sen. Jason Esteves (D-Atlanta) shown in the Senate chambers on day 18 of the Georgia Legislative session on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Crowded field vies for metro Senate seat in Nov. 18 special election

Six candidates are vying to complete the Senate term being vacated by former state Sen. Jason Esteves. The special election is Nov. 18.

Georgia Democrats decry House vote to reopen federal government

The U.S. House has signed off on a funding bill that will end the government shutdown but all Georgia Democrats were opposed.

OPINION

History made clear this shutdown wasn’t going to work

Democrats failed to force action on their central issue, but seem to have succeeded in thrusting the issue of health insurance affordability squarely before voters.

The Latest

Sen. Jason Esteves (D-Atlanta) shown in the Senate chambers on day 18 of the Georgia Legislative session on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Crowded field vies for metro Senate seat in Nov. 18 special election

Georgia Democrats decry House vote to reopen federal government

State Election Board settles records lawsuit brought by watchdog group

Featured

University of Georgia students are seen entering and leaving the main Library on the Athens campus on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

UGA to pay $100K H-1B visa fee only ‘in exceptional circumstances’

The University of Georgia could soon limit the number of foreign workers it employs, a result of the $100,000 fee imposed on some H-1B visas.

Georgia judges deal blow to ICE’s new mandatory detention policy

The ruling is a first-of-its-kind to come out of Georgia’s Middle District.

At the Cobb jail, a new kind of rehabilitation starts at the horse barn

Joshua Arp is one of two Cobb County jail detainees taking part of the sheriff’s office new equine therapy program meant to help him stay out of jail.