This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Mansfield, Texas • Lawmakers in Texas and energy producing states across the nation are rushing to stop local communities from imposing limits on oil and gas drilling despite growing public concern about health and environmental tolls.
The slump in oil prices that has led to job losses in the oil patch has only added to the urgency of squelching local drilling bans and other restrictions the industry views as onerous. The number of U.S> jobs in the sector that includes energy production has fallen 3.5 percent since December, and Texas alone lost about 25,000 jobs in March, according to federal data.
In the last decade, fracking spawned a massive drilling expansion that enabled the United States to become the world's top oil and gas producer. Cities responded to environmental and health concerns by passing restrictions. Lawmakers are now stepping in to keep energy expansion rolling.About 60 municipalities in Texas have some form of ordinance on the books limiting drilling or fracking,