Fuel Fix reports that “voters in the oil-rich North Texas city of Denton voted Tuesday to ban further permitting of hydraulic fracturing, upsetting a campaign backed by big oil and gas companies opposing the measure.”  

“The vote made Denton, which sits atop a large natural gas reserve, the first city in Texas to pass such a ban. It sets up a legal showdown between the city and industry groups that have warned the ban could be followed by lawsuits and a severe hit to Denton’s economy.”  

“With early returns indicating the ban passed with nearly 60 percent of the vote, Mayor Chris Watts said the city would move to enforce it. Though pre-existing permits would remain valid, opponents have called it a wholesale ban on drilling.”