ATLANTA – A northwest Georgia lawmaker was honored this week for his efforts to control a controversial type of drilling before it cranks up in the state. 

Rep. John Meadows, R-Calhoun, who heads the powerful House Rules Committee, was recognized as a “water hero” by the Georgia Water Coalition for his attempts to regulate fracking.  

“He has led the effort to update state policy on oil and gas drilling,” said Joe Cook with the Coosa River Basin Initiative. “Chairman Meadows’ legislation will ultimately help protect the state’s drinking water from the risks associated with fracking.” 

Hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, is a process that pumps a mixture of water, sand and chemicals underground to break up rock and release the gas. 

No one is currently fracking in Georgia. Meadows has said his measure is meant to update the state’s 40-year-old oil and gas drilling laws to protect the region’s water before that works starts, should that day come.  

The Conasauga shale formation, which stretches out across the northwest corner of the state, including Whitfield County, is believed to contain as much as 625 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

Meadows said Wednesday that he is still hearing of potential interest in the region’s untapped natural gas reserves. 

“We need to do something quickly or they’ll be operating under the old system, if they pursue it,” he said. 

No one has submitted an application so far for fracking, said Jim Kennedy, the state geologist. 

In fact, Kennedy said Wednesday that the last time the state received an application for drilling was more than three years ago, and it did not involve fracking. If there’s any recent work being done to buy land and mineral leases, it’s not on his radar, he said. 

“The price is much too low for people to have any interest,” Kennedy said, referring to the price of natural gas. 

Meadows’ bill stalled in the final hours of this year’s legislation session after a landfill bill was tacked on to it. Meadows said he plans to push it through, sans landfill bill, early in next year’s session, which starts in January.  

Jill Nolin covers the Georgia Statehouse for CNHI’s newspapers and websites. Reach her at jnolin@cnhi.com.