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.