Denton Fracking Referendum Collection

Background

On November 4, 2014 Denton residents voted on a proposition calling for the prohibition of hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," within the city limits of Denton, Texas. The hydraulic fracturing process involves the use of water, sand, and/or chemical additives pumped under high pressure to fracture rock formations and improve the flow of natural gas, oil, or other hydrocarbons. The referendum was passed by voters and was the first permanent ban on fracking in the State of Texas. The referendum was rendered unenforceable in May 2015 by Texas House Bill 40, which granted the state government exclusive jurisdiction over the oil and gas industry. As a result, on June 17, 2015 the Denton City Council voted 7-1 to repeal the anti-fracking initiative.

About the Digital Collection

This collection documents news and viewpoints related to the proposed fracking ban. It includes a compilation of web pages crawled in late 2014 and a collection of oral histories conducted in Fall 2015 by UNT students in Dr. Priscilla S. Ybarra's English 4650: Literature and Environment: Chicana Feminist Voices.

About the Physical Collection

A portion of ephemera related to the fracking referendum has not been digitized but is available for use in the UNT Special Collections Reading Room. For more information, please see our finding aid.