Texas energy group asks court to stop fracking ban

DENTON, Texas — An energy industry group has responded quickly after voters in a North Texas city approved a ban on new permits for hydraulic fracturing, asking for an injunction to stop the measure from being enforced.

The vote made Denton, which sits atop a natural gas reserve, the first city in Texas to pass such a ban.

An attorney for the Texas Oil and Gas Association, Tom Phillips, said Wednesday the courts must “give a prompt and authoritative answer” on whether Denton voters had the authority to do so.

The gas fields under Denton have produced $1 billion in mineral wealth and pumped more than $30 million into city bank accounts.

Property rights in Texas are split between the land and the minerals below. Phillips says the ban violates the Texas Constitution.

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