U.S. Judge Strikes Down N.M. County's Fracking Ban as Unconstitutional

"A county's ban on hydraulic fracturing and drilling conflicts with both state and U.S. law, a federal court in New Mexico found this week.

The U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico on Monday struck down a ban on fracking and drilling in Mora County, a rural area about 100 miles northeast of Santa Fe. County voters passed the ban in 2013, and Royal Dutch Shell PLC subsidiary SWEPI LP filed suit last year.

The decision is a win for industry and a major setback for environmentalists, who have had mixed results in championing a 'local control' approach to oil and gas regulation around the country."

Ellen M. Gilmer reports for EnergyWire January 21, 2015.