Sanders Wants Nationwide Fracking Ban

Saying it’s a danger to the air and water supply, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders upped his rhetoric on hydraulic fracturing Monday by calling for a nationwide ban on fracking.

In a statement to the press, Sanders – running against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the Democrat’s nomination for the 2016 U.S. presidential election – drew a stark contrast between his position and those of his opponent. During a March debate in Michigan, Clinton said she supports fracking that meets certain criteria when it is favored by the communities in which it would occur.

“If we are going to leave this planet in a way that is healthy and habitable for future generations, we need bold action now,” Sanders said.

According to the statement, oil and gas lobbyists have “bundled thousands of dollars for Clinton’s campaign directly.”

Actress and longtime activist Susan Sarandon features prominently in a TV ad released April 11.

“Bernie Sanders is the only candidate for president who opposes fracking everywhere,” she said in the 30-second spot, “No Fracking Anywhere.”

Sanders and Clinton have sharpened their attacks in the days leading up to the debate April 14 in New York, a state that banned fracking in 2014.



WHAT DO YOU THINK?


Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.

Greg Moore  |  April 13, 2016
Just goes to show how ignorant some of our politicians are, the media and many of the folks out there. If he/they only knew that shale oil added 4M bbls/day of production over the last 5 years and the current surplus of oil without the US shale production would be a deficit of 2M bbs/day and oil prices through the roof - along w/ gas at the pump. If he/they only knew that conventional oil cannot feed worldwide demand and we are forced to make up the difference w/ un-conventionals - or quit driving and blowing cold air in the summer and warm air in the winter?. I bet Bernie wont quit driving or turn off his heater! But then again these guys dont work in the realm of the real facts and the truth. Bernie Sanders is out of touch w/ reality and the scary part is that nearly half the registered Democrats are voting for him.
Lino Vella-Gregory  |  April 13, 2016
I love it when politicians say what people want to hear just to win some votes. Now if he substantiated his statement of banning all frac(k)ing or at least show some form of reasoning maybe he will be taken more seriously. I agree with John White, Sanders is a frac(k)ing idiot!
Jerry Nichols  |  April 13, 2016
An outright ban on fracking would put serious pressure on oil prices in the not too distant future, perhaps taking 2-4 million barrels off the world market. His staff should research what the implication of his policy would be on US domestic production levels in the next few years, and how this supply cutback might impact global crude prices. Sanders might then consider who would be hurt the most by his policy. It's not going to be the rich, and its not going to be just Americans. The major beneficiaries of such an action would be low cost producers, such as OPEC. Prices would soar, but the supply increases made possible by US oil producers during the last oil boom due to fracking would now be impossible no matter what the price signal. It would negatively impact the US trade balance. A lot of US dollars formerly plowed back into local communities and tax rolls would now be migrating back to the Middle East. And it would mean another huge increase in the wealth of major exporters like Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and Russia. Disastrous policy designed by ideologues who have no grasp of the subject. But a gift to many oil producers around the world.
Jeff Harris  |  April 12, 2016
Bernie Sanders needs to research what fracturing is and what would happen to US Oil & Gas production if there was a ban imposed. I bet he thinks that fracing is a new form of drilling oil & gas wells like I have heard from people in the media say many times. Politicians need to have someone on their staff that knows what the Oil and Gas Industry actually does to protect people and the environment.
Stuart Murphy  |  April 12, 2016
Sanders position is based solely on ignorance and denial of facts supported even by the EPA. Fracking is critical to the well being of the US economy and national security. There is no way I could ever support a candidate with such an uniformed and nationally detrimental position.
John White  |  April 12, 2016
Sanders is a fracking idiot.


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