Senate approves bill creating fracking regulations in Georgia

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.