Reuters: Santa Cruz on Tuesday became the first California county to ban fracking, the latest in a string of moves by local governments in the state to take a stand against the controversial oil and gas producing method.
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, relies on injecting water, sand and some chemicals deep beneath the earths surface to break up rock and free up oil and gas trapped below.
Environmentalists say the chemicals used in the process can pollute underground water supplies and cause other...