Fracking petitions still circulating

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Organizers of a move to ban the practice of hydraulic fracturing are making a further push to
gain signatures to get a charter amendment on the Nov. 5 ballot.Lisa Kochheiser, spokeswoman for the
FreshWater Accountability Project, said as of Friday the drive had collected 1,200 signatures.To get the
charter amendment on the ballot requires 1,270, but organizers are aiming to get 1,600 to account for
any signatures that may be deemed invalid."We are going to be extending signature collecting until
the end of the month," Kochheiser said.She said they plan to deliver the signed petitions to the
city by Aug. 1. The city must then process them, and then turn them over to the Board of
Elections.Hydraulic fracturing, commonly called fracking, uses a chemical brine that is mostly water
spiked with chemicals to release gas trapped in rock.Kochheiser and others who oppose fracking say it is
an environmental threat to the quality and quantity of the water supply, as well as posing other health
and environmental dangers.Gas and oil industry officials maintain the process is safe and is an economic
benefit that creates jobs throughout the state.Kochheiser said the drive has benefited from an increase
in the number of people out circulating petitions. The drive has 28 volunteers seeking signatures,
including a number from other organizations around the state."We’re going to get this done,"
she said. "It’s very exciting, absolutely."

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