The Scottish government has announced a block on planned fracking operations, pending further inquiries. Ministers will carry out new work on the environmental and health implications of the controversial gas drilling technique. BBC. 29 January 2015.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-31016537
The U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico on Monday struck down a ban on fracking and drilling in Mora County, a rural area about 100 miles northeast of Santa Fe, saying the ban conflicts with both state and U.S. law. EnergyWire. 22 January 2015.
http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060011991
New York State banned fracking earlier this month, citing the potential risks to public health. In Pennsylvania, where shale gas drilling has boomed, the state has not studied those risks systematically and some say, deliberately ignored them. StateImpact Pennsylvania, Dec 30, 2014