Councilwoman introduces anti-fracking bill

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Hawaii County Councilwoman Brenda Ford has introduced a bill to ban fracking.

Hawaii County Councilwoman Brenda Ford has introduced a bill to ban fracking.

The bill would prevent companies from injecting fluids deep into the ground to release or access resources.

Fracking is mainly used on the mainland to access natural gas. While the Big Island may not have any natural gas resources, the practice of fracking can be used by geothermal companies to widen cracks in rocks underground to access heat sources.

The practice is also known as enhanced geothermal.

A penalty of $1,000 per violation would be enforced.

The legislation, Bill 129, could be heard as early as Sept. 17.

For more on this story, see Saturday’s Tribune-Herald.