Coalition ways state must move faster on fracking

SPRINGFIELD - A coalition of business and labor groups wants the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to move faster in implementing hydraulic fracturing rules.

The group calls itself "Growing Resources and Opportunity for the Workforce in Illinois." The Springfield bureau of Lee Enterprises reports the coalition held a news conference Thursday to call on Gov. Pat Quinn's administration, saying Illinois is missing out on jobs and economic opportunities.

The agency has come under increasing criticism from "fracking" supporters who had hoped that high-volume oil and gas drilling would start this summer. Also, the department has hired a fraction of the 53 employees it says it needs.

State officials say they're on track to meet a Nov. 15 deadline with the rules and have posted nearly half the jobs to be filled.