BLM said the effects of fracking were unknown when it granted four permits in California in 2011. A judge has ruled “this is precisely why proper investigation was so crucial in this case” as says the permits are illegal.
Fracking opponents in California have won what may be their first victory in court, with a federal magistrate’s ruling that federal authorities broke the law when they leased land in Monterey and Fresno counties to oil drillers without studying the possible risks of hydraulic fracturing.