SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — New legislation would ban all fracking in California by 2027, taking aim at the powerful oil and gas industry in the state that’s been a leader in combating climate change. The measure Wednesday comes months after Gov. Gavin Newsom called on the Legislature to ban fracking by 2024. The technique extracts huge amounts of oil and gas from shale rock deep underground. Climate groups say it harms the environment and threatens public health. The legislation would halt new fracking permits or renewals by Jan. 1 and ban the practice by 2027. The oil and gas industry calls the legislation “legally questionable” and says it’s so broad it would mean a total ban on California oil production.
