Vermont lawmakers are considering a three-year moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, a controversial technique for natural gas drilling, while the scientific issues are explored further.
No natural gas wells currently exist in Vermont, but lawmakers have heard from state environmental officials that there's a shale formation under the Lake Champlain islands that could be a target for the practice.
With fracking, as the technique is known, a high-pressure mix of water and chemicals is forced into the ground to fracture layers of shale and allow the gas to be released. Environmentalists say the chemicals are a threat to the environment and public health. They also complain that drilling companies haven't disclosed what chemicals are being used.
A House committee will take up the issue Wednesday.
