Voters in Solon recently moved to become the first town in Maine to ban fracking for oil. A one-year moratorium was adopted by a clear majority in a show-of-hands vote at the annual town meeting. The intent of the moratorium is to protect Solon’s water resources, although there are no known oil and gas deposits in the state, and the state geologist maintains that the local terrain is unsuitable for fracking.
A Precautionary Ban on Fracking
While some view the moratorium as a political measure with no real meaning since fracking is not currently taking place in Maine, others cautioned that things can change. Natural shifts in the earth and developments in technology to improve fracking methods could bring fracking to the state in the future. Frank Ridley introduced the measure “just in case”. Ridley states: “Every time I think about the horrors of fracking throughout a big part of the country, it frightens me with the possibility that it could come to New England, it could come to Maine. It’s as far east as New York state.”
Fracking Moratorium with Exceptions
Although Solon residents voted for the moratorium on fracking, the decision comes with three important exceptions. Fracking will still be used to rejuvenate septic leach fields, increase the yield in drilled water wells and remove groundwater contamination. This will assist in eliminating groundwater contamination, and will allow access to more water from drilled wells. The moratorium will give the Solon planning board time to develop an ordinance banning the practice of fracking altogether, and may inspire other Maine municipalities to do the same.