Professor Frank Publishes Op-ed on Fracking Bans in Daily Journal

Professor of Environmental Practice Richard Frank has published an op-ed on hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" and the efforts ban the practice via local initiatives. The article appears in the publication's November 13 edition.

Fracking has "triggered a 21st century oil and gas boom in California and other regions," but "environmentalists and some scientists believe it is exceedingly harmful to human health and the environment," Frank writes.  Voters in San Benito and Mendocino counties passed fracking bans on November 4, setting the stage for a legal battle.

"It's likely that Election Day 2014 marks only the beginning of efforts to ban or limit fracking via local initiative measures. And those fracking bans that have been enacted are likely to face litigation challenges, although the success of such litigation is far from certain," Frank writes.

Frank, a 1974 graduate of King Hall, is a leader in the field of environmental law and the founding Director of the California Environmental Law and Policy Center at UC Davis School of Law.