Gov. Pat McCrory signed a controversial fracking bill into law in mid-March. The bill lifts the state’s moratorium on hydraulic fracturing.

A spokesperson for the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Jamie Kritzer, says no one has applied for a fracking permit at this point.

Kritzer says the permit process starts with “several people saying, ‘yes we agree to have drilling take place on our land that we own mineral rights on.’ That’s the first step . . . then they would be granted a drilling unit by the Mining and Energy Commission. And then they would be able to apply for a permit. But neither one has happened.”

Some North Carolina land owners do not own their mineral rights so they would not have a say in whether gas companies drill on their land. If you are unaware, you can find out who owns the mineral rights on your property through records at the county clerk’s office.