Bill > SB601

This bill, the Maryland Hydraulic Fracturing Moratorium and Right to Know Act of 2013, prohibits the Department of the Environment from issuing permits for hydraulic fracturing, a process used to extract natural gas, until specific conditions are met, including the completion of a study mandated by an Executive Order and the adoption of new regulations by the Department. The bill also requires the Department of the Environment and the Department of Natural Resources to jointly issue a risk assessment detailing potential public health and environmental hazards associated with hydraulic fracturing, classifying risks and their probabilities. Furthermore, it authorizes the Department of the Environment to collect a fee from owners of gas interests in areas underlain by the Marcellus Shale, a specific geological formation, to fund the completion of the required study, and mandates that the adopted regulations be at least as protective as the study's findings and the risk assessment. The bill also includes provisions for legislative oversight, including briefings and a review of the study and risk assessment to determine if further legislative action, such as extending the moratorium, lifting it, or imposing a ban, is necessary.