The Chicago Tribune reports that “a southern Illinois legislator introduced legislation Friday in Springfield in an attempt to get horizontal hydraulic fracturing or ‘fracking’ started more quickly in Illinois.”  

“The legislation proposes to skip a rulemaking process that has taken nearly a year and has slowed the development of oil and gas drilling in the state. The legislation would also impose a moratorium on fracking in Northern Illinois.”  

“’On behalf of the industry, there’s been extreme disappointment that we’ve waited a year to get rules in place and then nothing. A state with high unemployment — there’s extreme frustration and almost anger that they haven’t moved faster to get rules in place so the industry can take off,’ said Mark Denzler, vice president of Illinois Manufacturer’s Association.”