The Texas House overwhelmingly approved a bill on Friday that would gut the power of municipalities to pass anti-fracking rules, angering environmentalists and cities across the state.

Conservative state lawmakers have been working hard to halt a growing anti-fracking movement since lastNovember, when voters in the town of Denton shocked Big Oil by voting to outlaw fracking. The ordinance prohibiting fracking within the city limits passed 58.64% to 41.36%. Denton is the birthplace of the fracking industry.

“This is a dangerous power grab by Big Oil to stomp out the rights of communities to protect themselves from the worst impacts of dirty drilling,” said Luke Metzger, Director of Environment Texas. “They won’t settle for just overturning the Denton ban but are taking aim at ordinances across the state that limit drilling near homes, schools and parks as well as many other health and safety standards.”

Metzger noted the House approved the bill on the second anniversary of the explosion of the West fertilizer plant which claimed 15 lives. “The tragedy in West clearly showed the need for stronger safety protections on hazardous facilities, but instead the House is moving in the opposite direction. Fracking operations, involving large amounts of flammable, volatile and toxic materials, are inherently dangerous and cities need the authority to protect public health and safety. Today’s vote is an outrage.”