---
title: "It’s official: Latin America's biggest shale reserve will never be fracked"
date: 2019-07-11T13:59:37Z
modified: 2023-09-12T14:54:21Z
permalink: "https://350.org/its-official-latin-americas-biggest-shale-reserve-will-never-be-fracked/"
type: post
status: publish
excerpt: "It's taken 6 years of movement-building and working in coalitions to support fracking bans - often one municipality at a time - but today it's official: the entire state of Paraná in Brazil has agreed to keep its massive shale reserves in the ground, forever."
wpid: 101620
categories:
  - Featured
  - KIITG
  - Latin America
crosspost-location:
  - GFF Global
featured_image: /wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0927.jpeg
---

The [State Assembly of Paraná has banned fracking](https://350.org/press-release/brazil-approves-its-first-law-against-fracking-in-parana-state/) forever from its territory. It’s official!

Together with a community of volunteers, teachers, faith groups, farmers, politicians, and people engaged in the struggle to protect life and reject fossil fuels, we won! Paraná had [previously passed a temporary ban](https://350.org/press-release/in-an-unprecedented-decision-state-congress-in-parana-brazil-bans-fracking-operations/) on fracking, but now it’s gone for good.

This means:

- The **biggest shale reserve in the Southern Hemisphere ever auctioned** (roughly 3 times larger than Marcellus) will be **kept in the ground.**
- **12.5 million people** in the state are safe from the direct impacts of fracking

![](https://350.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/34674455_1881207888596509_6844008494727692288_n-700x525.jpg)

This is the result of a campaign that started six years ago when COESUS (the Brazilian Coalition Against Fracking) was founded by local environmentalists. Today that campaign is national with 425 organizations and members. COESUS is managed by 350 and our partner Arayara and is proud to have contributed to the victory in Paraná.

The law, signed into force by the Governor after an almost unanimous legislative vote, makes the state a pioneer in the history of Brazil – protecting our waters, our health, our food and our ways of life. We chose to say yes to life and water and we hope other states will also say no to fracking!

Continuing our campaign across Brazil is for tomorrow. Today we celebrate!

![](https://350.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/47680631_2146647978719164_265180291696427008_n-700x266.png)