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Farifield Rep. Hwang Celebrates Moratorium On Fracking

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- State Rep. Tony Hwang (R-134 Fairfield and Trumbull) joined Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, state officials and environmental advocates to commemorate the passage of a new state law that enacts a three-year moratorium on the handling of waste from hydraulic fracturing in Connecticut.

State Rep. Tony Hwang with Blake Whiting, Will Simon, Bill McGarth and Jack Elsas in East Haven at the bill signing of the moratorium on fracking waste in Connecticut.

State Rep. Tony Hwang with Blake Whiting, Will Simon, Bill McGarth and Jack Elsas in East Haven at the bill signing of the moratorium on fracking waste in Connecticut.

Photo Credit: Contributed

The ceremony was held at Farm River State Park in East Haven. 

The legislation, which has been called one of the strongest in the nation, was approved by the General Assembly with strong bipartisan support and supported by grassroots advocacy across the state. The environmental impact of fracking will be further researched during the moratorium.

"This legislation goes a long way in protecting the health and safety of the people of Connecticut," Hwang said in a statement. "This highly toxic, radioactive material is dangerous and Connecticut needs to make sure states that do permit fracking do not bring the waste in our state."

Fracking, which is also known as “hydraulic fracturing,” is a drilling technique where an L-shaped bore is made in the ground, which is then injected with water mixed with sand and chemicals under high pressure. This creates underground fissures that allow otherwise hard-to-reach deposits of natural gas to flow back to the surface.

A single gas well made by fracking may create 2 to 4 million gallons of wastewater.

During the three-year moratorium, the new law requires the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to establish the regulatory approach necessary to ensure that fracking waste does not create a hazard for Connecticut’s air, land, water, and public health.

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