Loveland votes against fracking ban

Residents in Loveland, Colorado, US, voted to strike down a moratorium on fracking on Tuesday (23rd June). Fracking - or hydraulic fracturing - is a process used to extract oil and natural gas; however, it has been greeted with controversy in many areas. A number of cities along Colorado's Front Range have already banned fracking.

According to city spokesman Tom Hacker, the proposed moratorium failed by around 900 votes, with over 2,000 ballots being cast. This means that fracking in the region could be imminent, rather than facing a two-year delay. The decision has been seen as a huge win by those that fought against the proposal.

Jon Haubert, spokesman for Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development, said in a press release: "Loveland voters took the responsibility upon themselves to learn the truth about this important technology and take action on this important local matter."

He continued to say that the proposal was defeated because the oil and gas industry took the time to educate voters on the process of fracking, presenting facts about the process in an accessible way. This enabled them to disprove some of the points made by anti-fracking groups.

Many industry leaders that support fracking have accused the anti-fracking groups of "fear mongering" and presenting incorrect information in a bid to see the proposal passed. Tisha Schuller, president and chief executive of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association said the failure to pass the moratorium shows that the residents of Loveland rejected the misinformation that was presented throughout the campaign by those looking to ban hydraulic fracturing.

"This is a good example of what happens when voters have access to the facts about hydraulic fracturing and energy development. This ballot measure was about banning energy development, and the people of Loveland embraced cooperation by rejecting this ban," she said.

Loveland is the sixth city in Colorado to have put fracking to a vote, reports the Coloradoan, and is the only one to have voted against putting a ban or restrictions on the process.