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Fracking Moratorium Gets Final Senate Passage

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ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - A bill establishing deadlines for the adoption and implementation of fracking regulations is making its way through the General Assembly.

Maryland Senators on Tuesday voted 45-2 in favor of a House version of the bill, which also stops the issuing of hydraulic fracturing drilling permits until October 2017.

The Senate approved its own version of the bill on Monday night, also in a 45-2 vote.

The bill was originally proposed as an eight-year moratorium on fracking in Maryland. Currently there is no fracking in the state, but certain portions of western Maryland have been identified as potential drilling sites.

Gov. Larry Hogan has said he'll take a hard look at any fracking legislation that passes.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.