Environmentalists Won’t Get a Frack Free Christmas
December 24th, 2019 by Jake StofanThe Governor has been receiving some heat this holiday season from environmentalists who say the Governor has failed to follow through with his campaign promise to ban fracking.
Their hope is to see a ban passed in 2020, but so far there doesn’t appear to any momentum building.
Earlier this month caroling environmentalists changed the lyrics to Christmas classics to deliver an anti-fracking message to the Governor.
It’s something the Governor once said he’d fight for.
“It’s been close to a year since he has said anything about it and what he has said was innsufficient so far,” said Kim Ross with ReThink Energy Florida.
Armed with 20,000 petitions asking the Governor to deliver a Frack free Christmas, environmental groups argued Governor Ron DeSantis has turned his back on a campaign promise.
“And this lack of action combined with DEP’s recent actions allowing a Texas oil company to drill for oil in the Apalachicola River basin is absolutely disgraceful,” said Ray Seaman with Progress Florida.
There were early signs of hope.
In his inaugural address DeSantis vowed to be an advocate for the environment.
“And we will never ever quit,” said DeSantis.
He followed up with an executive order, directing state environmental agencies to lobby for a fracking ban.
Last year a fracking ban was proposed and moved further through the legislative process than ever before, but it didn’t cross the finish line.
There hasn’t been much indication a ban will fare better in 2020.
Senate President Bill Galvano said so far there’s been no word from the Governor on the issue.
“We’ve not had those conversations with the Governor. I’m certainly not opposed to senators working on that particular issue as they have in the past,” said Galvano.
This year’s proposed ban has cleared one Senate committee, but hasn’t moved in the House.
Without an endorsement from the Governor, its future remains uncertain.
We reached out to the Governor’s Office for comment on this story, but did not receive a response.
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