Prodded by environmentalists and community activists, Florida - TopicsExpress

Prodded by environmentalists and community activists, Florida yanked all drilling permits held by the Dan A. Hughes Co. seven months after it was caught using fracking-like methods to blast open rock near underground aquifers. The companys banishment was a victory for protesters across Florida trying to quell an intense search for oil near wildlife refuges and water supplies. It also indicates an increasingly tough stance by the Floridas Department of Environmental Protection, apparently in response to public pressure and criticism that it lacks the willingness and enforcement power to rein in new methods of drilling. (-g)