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Since the day of its foundation in 1980, PETA has done a lot for animal rights.1980 : PETA is formed and organizes the first World Day for Laboratory Animals protest in the U.S. and the first demonstration against chicken slaughter at Arrow Live Poultry, which was subsequently closed, in Washington, D.C.1981 : PETA conducts an undercover investigation exposing the suffering of the Silver Spring monkeys in a Maryland research facility, resulting in the first-ever police raid on a laboratory.1981 : A PETA undercover investigation results in the first conviction of an experimenter for animal abuse and the first withdrawal of federal research funds because of cruelty to animals.1982 : PETA makes legal history by filing the first-ever lawsuit to become the guardian of animals used in experiments.1983 : PETA gets a U.S. Department of Defense underground “wound lab” shut down and achieves a permanent ban on shooting dogs and cats in military wound laboratories.1984 : PETA closes down a Texas slaughterhouse operation in which 30,000 horses were trucked in and left to starve in frozen fields without shelter.1985 : After PETA publicizes the gross mistreatment of animals at City of Hope in California, the government suspends more than $1 million of the laboratory’s federal funding.1986 : As a result of PETA’s campaign, the SEMA research laboratory in Maryland stops confining chimpanzees to isolation chambers.1987 : PETA stops a plan by Cedars-Sinai, California’s largest hospital, to ship stray dogs from Mexico to California for experiments.1988 : For the first time, PETA conducts a year-long undercover investigation at Biosearch, a cosmetics and household product testing laboratory, uncovering more than 100 violations of federal and state anti-cruelty laws.1989 : PETA persuades Avon, Benetton, Mary Kay, Amway, Kenner, Mattel, and Hasbro to stop testing on animals. Note: Many of these companies have started testing on animals again in order to sell their products in China.1990 : After PETA exposes the backstage beating of orangutans by Las Vegas entertainer Bobby Berosini, his wildlife permit is suspended and his show closes.1991 : PETA’s “Silver Spring monkeys” case marks the first animal experimentation case ever heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.The court gives a unanimous, positive ruling.1992 : PETA’s undercover investigation into foie gras production prompts the first-ever police raid on a factory farm. PETA convinces many restaurants to stop selling the vile product.1993 : All car-crash tests on animals stop worldwide following PETA’s hard-hitting campaign against General Motors’ use of live pigs and ferrets in crash tests.1994 : A California furrier is charged with cruelty to animals after a PETA investigator films him electrocuting chinchillas by clipping wires to the animals’ genitals. In another undercover exposé, PETA catches a fur rancher on videotape causing minks to die in agony by injecting them with a weedkiller. Both fur farms agree to stop these cruel killing methods.1994 : Less than a month after PETA supporters occupy Calvin Klein‘s office in New York—an action that leads to a meeting between the designer and a PETA representative—Klein announces that he will no longer design with fur, the first major fashion designer to do so.1995 : PETA persuades Mobil, Texaco, Pennzoil, Shell, and other oil companies to cover their exhaust stacks after showing how millions of birds and bats have become trapped in them and been burned to death.1995 : PETA’s efforts lead to the first-ever cruelty charges filed against a factory farmer for cruelty to chickens for allowing tens of thousands of chickens to starve to death. The president of the company ultimately pleads guilty.1996 : Following PETA’s campaign, NASA pulls out of Bion—a joint U.S., French, and Russian experiment in which monkeys wearing straitjackets were to have electrodes implanted in their bodies and be launched into space.1996 : PETA convinces Gillette to observe a moratorium on animal testing after a colorful years-long campaign, including the presentation of shareholder resolutions at Gillette’s annual meetings and support from compassionate celebrities Paul McCartney, Lily Tomlin, Hugh Grant, and Elizabeth Hurley.1997 : A PETA investigation that documented the anal electrocution of foxes leads to the first-ever guilty plea by a fur rancher to cruelty-to-animals charges.1998 : PETA succeeds in getting Taiwan to pass its first-ever law against cruelty to animals after the group rescues countless dogs from being beaten, starved, electrocuted, and drowned in Taiwan’s pounds.1999 : Undercover investigations into pig-breeding factory farms in North Carolina and Oklahoma reveal horrific conditions and daily abuse of pigs, including the fact that one pig was skinned alive, leading to the first-ever felony indictments of farm workers.1999 : PETA conducts an undercover investigation into the Nielsen Farms puppy mill in Kansas, which reveals extremely small enclosures and rampant sickness, abuse, and death. Our investigation leads to the closure of the facility and a $20,000 fine from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Nielsens are also “permanently disqualified from being licensed” by the USDA.2000 : Following the group’s investigation, PETA convinces Gap Inc., J.Crew, Liz Claiborne, Clarks, and Florsheim to boycott leather from India and China, countries in which leather production causes immense animal suffering.2000 : After a campaign that lasts 11 months and includes more than 400 demonstrations at McDonald’s restaurants in more than 23 countries, as well as advertising and celebrity involvement, McDonald’s becomes the first fast-food company to agree to make basic animal-welfare improvements for farmed animals.2001 : PETA persuades Burger King to adopt sweeping animal-welfare improvements, including conducting unannounced slaughterhouse inspections and giving hens more cage space.2001 : Shortly thereafter, following a vigorous PETA campaign, Wendy’sfollows suit, announcing plans to change some of its rules regarding the handling and slaughter of the animals used for its food.2002 : PETA’s efforts lead to the confiscation of six undernourished polar bears from a tropical circus, in which they were underfed, whipped, and forced to perform in sweltering temperatures.2003 : Evidence submitted by PETA leads to the mandatory relinquishment of all 16 elephants used by the Hawthorn Corporation, an elephant-rental company.2004 : PETA persuades chemical companies and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to drop plans for numerous painful chemical tests, sparing tens of thousands of animals.2005 : Following PETA’s campaign, Honda, PUMA, Keds, and other companies pull their commercials featuring great apes. Several corporations pledge never to use great apes in advertising in the future.2005 : Thanks to PETA’s lengthy campaign to push PETCO to take more responsibility for the animals in its stores, the company agrees tostop selling large birds and to make provisions for the millions of rats and mice in its care.2006 : PETA convinces Polo Ralph Lauren to stop selling fur. The furs were pulled from store shelves and donated to those in need in Mongolia.2007 : After uncovering cruel experiments funded by major beverage manufacturers, PETA convinces POM Wonderful, PepsiCo, and Coca-Cola to end all animal tests.2008 : PETA elicits agreements to make major improvements in farmed-animal welfare from Safeway, Harris Teeter, and the company that controls the purchase of chickens for KFCs in Canada, which also start offering faux-chicken menu items.2008 : The Ad Council signs PETA’s Great Ape Humane Pledge. In 2012, it extends its pledge to include a ban on all wild animals in advertising.2008 : PETA’s investigation into Aviagen Turkeys, Inc., part of the self-proclaimed “world’s leading poultry breeding company,” reveals that workers tortured, mutilated, and maliciously killed turkeys. Three former employees are indicted on felony cruelty-to-animals charges—the first felony charges for abusing factory-farmed poultry in U.S. history—and two become the first factory farmers to be convicted of abusing turkeys. One man is sentenced to one year in jail—the strongest penalty levied for abusing a factory-farmed animal in U.S. history—and all three are barred from owning or living with animals for five years.2008 : PETA investigates a pig-breeding factory farm in Iowa and uncovers horrific treatment of sows, boars, and piglets. The manager of the farm is fired, and the evidence results in 22 criminal charges against six workers, all of whom admit guilt and are sentenced to serve up to two years’ probation.2009 : PETA’s investigation into animal dealer U.S. Global Exotics prompts the largest animal seizure in history—more than 26,000 animals. The owner flees the country to evade federal charges.2009 : After receiving the video of PETA’s exposé of extreme suffering in the trade in exotic-animal skins, Stockholm-based international retailer H&M becomes the first retailer to adopt a policy banning products made from exotic skins in all of its 1,800 stores worldwide.2009 : After nearly a month of intense PETA campaigning against horrific combat training exercises conducted by the Bolivian military—in which live dogs are shown in a video tied down, repeatedly stabbed, and screaming in agony—the Bolivian Ministry of Defense ends the killing by issuing the military’s first-ever animal protection regulation, which “prohibit[s] all acts of violence, exploitation, [and] mistreatment that provokes the death of animals.”2010 : A petition co-filed by PETA leads a court to determine thatUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison staff members may face prosecution for violating state law by killing sheep in decompression experiments.2010 : Following a year of vigorous campaigning, NASA cancels plans fora $1.75 million study in which dozens of squirrel monkeys would have been exposed to a harmful dose of radiation.2010 : After discussions with PETA, Japan’s ITO EN, Ltd.—the world’s largest green-tea manufacturer—institutes a new policyprohibiting all animal testing. Also after discussions with PETA,Lipton tea soon follows suit.2010 : Just one week after PETA releases the results of its shocking undercover investigation into Professional Laboratory and Research Services and files a complaint with the USDA, the North Carolina–based contract animal testing facility surrenders nearly 200 dogs and more than 50 cats and closes its doors. This is only the second time in U.S. history that a laboratory has been forced to surrender animals and shut down.2010 : Less than six months after PETA releases its undercover investigation into laboratories at the University of Utah, Utahlegislators vote overwhelmingly to amend an archaic state law so that government-run animal shelters will no longer be forced to sell dogs and cats to laboratories on demand.2011 : The USDA fines Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus $270,000—the largest fine ever paid by an animal exhibitor—for violations of the Animal Welfare Act after PETA presents the agency with unequivocal evidence of animal abuse, including beatings, the negligent death of a lion, lame elephants forced to perform despite chronic pain, and a baby elephant who died during a training routine.2011 : PETA blows the lid off Ringling Bros.‘ violent training methods when a whistleblower shares photographic evidence from Ringling’s training compound revealing how baby elephants are torn away from their mothers and subjected to violent training sessions so that they will learn how to perform tricks.2011 : PETA releases video footage from an investigation showing howelephants used by Ringling Bros. are whipped, beaten, and yanked by heavy, sharp steel-tipped bullhooks behind the scenes prior to performing.2011 : In the first case of its kind, PETA, three marine-mammal experts, and two former orca trainers file a lawsuit asking a federal court to declare that five wild-caught orcas forced to perform at SeaWorld are being held as slaves in violation of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The filing—the first ever seeking to apply the 13th Amendment to nonhuman animals—names the five orcas as plaintiffs and seeks their release into their natural habitats or seaside sanctuaries.2011 : After intensive campaigning by PETA, the U.S. military ends the use of monkeys in the Army’s cruel chemical-attack training course.2012 : All the top 10 advertising agencies in the United States—McCann Erickson, BBDO, Y&R, DDB, Ogilvy & Mather, TBWA, Draftfcb, Grey, JWT, and Campbell Ewald – sign PETA’s Great Ape Humane Pledge, banning the use of great apes in their advertising.2012 : After meeting with PETA, apparel and accessories companyHaband removes all down-filled items from among its offerings and becomes the first company to implement an official policy banning the sale of down feathers.2012 : After PETA donates simulators to Egypt, the country ends all use of animals for medical trauma training.2012 : PETA exposes disturbing video footage taken by a whistleblower during a trauma training session conducted by military contractor Tier 1 Group for members of the U.S. Coast Guard, which shows thestabbing, shooting, and dismemberment of live goats. Following an official complaint from PETA, the USDA cites Tier 1 Group for violating the federal Animal Welfare Act for failing to provide the goats with adequate anesthesia before they were mutilated.2012 : After two years of PETA campaigns and a lengthy lawsuit brought by PETA and local residents, the Supreme Court of Puerto Riconixes a plan by the Bioculture corporation to set up a monkey-breeding facility and sell monkeys to U.S. laboratories.2012 : By funding scientists to train Chinese government officials in the use of non-animal testing methods, PETA launches an effort to stop China from requiring tests on animals for cosmetics and household products. As part of its effort, PETA convinces cosmetics company Urban Decay to reverse its decision to sell its products in China, and John Paul Mitchell Systems pulls out of the Chinese market rather than having its products tested on animals.2012 : PETA’s exposé documenting that cosmetics companies were secretly paying for tests on animals in China and our funding of scientists to train officials there lead to that nation’s acceptance, by the end of 2012, of its first non-animal tests for cosmetics ingredients.2012 : The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission bans the use of furosemide, or Lasix, a commonly used drug that can mask other drugs and lead to horse breakdowns.2012 : The horse-racing industry implements its first-ever industry-supported retirement plan for thoroughbreds.2012 : After decades of conducting cruel experiments and just six months after PETA purchases stock in the company in order to introduce a shareholder resolution on animal testing, BIOQUAL announces that it will end its use of chimpanzees. Formerly known as SEMA, BIOQUAL was first exposed in 1986, when PETA released footage of chimpanzees locked inside tiny isolation chambers at the facility.2012 : After two horses die on the set of the HBO horse-racing series Luck, PETA goes public with information obtained by whistleblowers as well as necropsy reports from the racing board revealing that older, arthritic horses had been used in dangerous and deadly racing sequences and that the horses appeared not to have been provided with adequate protection. After a third horse dies on the set, HBO announces the cancellation of Luck and ceases all production on the series.2012 : After a long and hard-fought battle by PETA, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and concerned citizens, Ben the bear is rescued from abhorrent conditions at a North Carolina roadside zoo. FedEx transports Ben free of charge (dubbing the mission “Bear Force One”) to the Performing Animal Welfare Society’s beautiful accredited wildlife sanctuary in northern California. There, Ben will live out the rest of his days splashing in his own pool, basking in the sun, and rolling in the grass in a 2-acre habitat designed especially for him.2012 : After a two-month PETA undercover investigation documenting that thousands of animals were being neglected and dying and many more are being cruelly killed, law-enforcement officials raid Global Captive Breeders—a company in Lake Elsinore, California, that bred and sold reptiles and rats for the “pet” trade. This results in the largest rescue of neglected rats in U.S. history and the largest seizure of animals, including more than 600 reptiles and 18,000 rats, ever in California. Local authorities charge the owner and manager with a total of 223 felony cruelty-to-animals and related charges.2012 : PETA prevails in a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for illegally issuing captive-bred wildlife permits. This victory allows PETA to keep a closer eye on animals bred in captivity, weigh in on permit applications, and bring legal challenges against permits that are improperly issued to Ringling Bros., SeaWorld, Have Trunk Will Travel, and other animal abusers.2013 : PETA—along with the Animal Legal Defense Fund, investigative journalists, a political journalist, a university history professor, and animal rights advocate Amy Meyer, who had recently been arrested for filming a downed cow at a Utah slaughterhouse—files a groundbreaking lawsuit challenging Utah’s “ag-gag” law, which prohibits the documenting of animal abuse at agricultural operations. The plaintiffs contend that this agribusiness law amounts to an unconstitutional attack on investigators’ First Amendment rights.2013 : After years of imprisonment in concrete pits at Chief Saunooke Bear Park in Cherokee, North Carolina, 11 bears were finally freed following a years-long campaign and PETA undercover investigation that forced the roadside zoo to pay a fine and surrender its exhibitor’s license to settle more than a dozen charges for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. After a private benefactor generously offered to purchase the bears, they were quickly transferred to their new home at the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary in Dallas, where they can now walk through tall grass, dig in the dirt, climb trees, take a dip in a pond, and just live as bears are supposed to live.2013 : Following decades of campaigning by PETA, the U.S. Army announces that it will reduce its use of animals for deadly trauma training exercises and restrict training for many military personnel to exclusively modern non-animal methods.2013 : After hearing from PETA that many sheep used for their wool endure a painful procedure called “mulesing,” in which huge chunks of skin and flesh are cut from their backsides without any painkillers, more than 50 national and international clothing retailers, including Abercrombie & Fitch, Liz Claiborne, H&M, Kenneth Cole, Perry Ellis International, and Express, state that they will use wool that comes only from nonmulesed sheep, as the industry begins to phase out the cruel practice.2013 : In 2013, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to support a bullhook ban showing PETA’s undercover footage of baby elephant training during the hearing. The ban, which goes into effect in 2017, is the first to pass in a major city where Ringling Bros. travels.2013 : Following PETA’s efforts to end dehorning in the dairy industry, in which calves have their horn buds burned off with no pain relief, companies such as Chipotle, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, and Amy’s Kitchen begin to pressure their suppliers to stop this cruel mutilation. Aurora Organic Dairy, the leading producer of private-brand organic milk and butter, is now breeding exclusively with bulls who carry the hornless gene.2013 : PETA’s 2013 exposé of Taiwan’s pigeon racing industry resulted in a national sweep of pigeon racing clubs. Police confiscated cash and equipment and froze over $4.5 million of apparent illegal gambling proceeds in two clubs’ bank accounts.2013 : Following PETA’s groundbreaking investigation from 2010, three pigeon racing organizers pleaded no contest to charges of commercial gambling—the first time in history that anyone has been held responsible for illegal conduct associated with cruel pigeon races.2014 : In the wake of the 2013 release of the film Blackfish and PETA’s relentless campaign against marine animal abusement park SeaWorld reached a fever-pitch. As a result, public condemnation of SeaWorld led to a tanking stock price, and the company’s attendance, revenue, and profits continued to plummet.2014 : The first ever undercover investigation into the angora wool industry showed screaming rabbits being tied down and their fur ripped from their bodies, leading to a ban on its sale by more than 70 companies from around the world including H&M, Calvin Klein, and Tommy Hilfiger.2014 : I, Chicken, the first-ever empathy-building virtual-reality experience—which allows people to view life from a chicken’s perspective before being sent to slaughter—travels to more than 150 universities across the US, including Harvard, Stanford, Brown, Dartmouth, the University of Pennsylvania, and Princeton.2014 : The scientific and regulatory expertise of PETA and its affiliates are consolidated to form the PETA International Science Consortium Ltd. Accepted as an accredited stakeholder with the agency that oversees the largest chemical testing program in the world, the Science Consortium works with industry, private research facilities and governments to promote non-animal tests around the world.2014 : In a first of its kind, international exposé of the wool industry in both Australia and the US, PETA released shocking footage of sheep-shearers punching, stomping, and cutting gentle sheep—some of whom died and were kicked and dragged aside like garbage.2014 : After intensive efforts led by PETA India and with scientific support from PETA US and the PETA International Science Consortium Ltd., India officially bans animal-tested cosmetics from being imported into the country. PETA India rallied support from scientists, ethical companies, celebrities, and powerful Indian government leaders.

With the recent confirmation by the U.S. government that the fracking process causes earthquakes, the list of fracking's deadly byproducts is growing longer and more worrisome. And while the process produces jobs and natural gas, the host of environmental, health and safety hazards continues to make fracking a hot-button issue that evenly divides Americans.To help keep track of all the bad stuff, here's a roundup of the various nasty things that could happen when you drill a hole in the surface of the earth, inject toxic chemicals into the hole at a high pressure and then inject the wastewater deep underground.But first, let's take a look at some of the numbers:40,000: gallons of chemicals used for each fracturing site8 million: number of gallons of water used per fracking600: number of chemicals used in the fracking fluid, including known carcinogens and toxins such as lead, benzene, uranium, radium, methanol, mercury, hydrochloric acid, ethylene glycol and formaldehyde10,000: number of feet into the ground that the fracking fluid is injected through a drilled pipeline1.1 million: number of active gas wells in the United States72 trillion: gallons of water needed to run current gas wells360 billion: gallons of chemicals needed to run current gas wells300,000: number of barrel of natural gas produced a day from frackingAnd here are eight of the worst side effects of fracking you don't hear about from those slick TV commercials paid for by the industry.1. Burning the furniture to heat the house.During the fracking process, methane gas and toxic chemicals leach out from the well and contaminate nearby groundwater. The contaminated water is used for drinking water in local communities. There have been over 1,000 documented cases of water contamination near fracking areas as well as cases of sensory, respiratory and neurological damage due to ingested contaminated water.In 2011, the New York Times reported that it obtained thousands of internal documents from the EPA, state regulators and fracking companies, which reveal that "the wastewater, which is sometimes hauled to sewage plants not designed to treat it and then discharged into rivers that supply drinking water, contains radioactivity at levels higher than previously known, and far higher than the level that federal regulators say is safe for these treatment plants to handle."A single well can produce more than a million gallons of wastewater, which contains radioactive elements like radium and carcinogenic hydrocarbons like benzene. In addition, methane concentrations are 17 times higher in drinking-water wells near fracking sites than in normal wells. Only 30-50 percent of the fracturing fluid is recovered; the rest is left in the ground and is not biodegradable.“We’re burning the furniture to heat the house,” said John H. Quigley, former secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “In shifting away from coal and toward natural gas, we’re trying for cleaner air, but we’re producing massive amounts of toxic wastewater with salts and naturally occurring radioactive materials, and it’s not clear we have a plan for properly handling this waste."2. Squeezed out.More than 90 percent of the water used in fracking well never returns to the surface. Since that water is permanently removed from the natural water cycle, this is bad news for drought-afflicted or water-stressed states, such as Arkansas, California, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Texas and Wyoming."We don't want to look up 20 years from now and say, Oops, we used up all our water," said Jason Banes of the Boulder, Colorado-based Western Resource Advocates.The redirection of water supplies to the fracking industry not only causes water price spikes, but also reduces water availability for crop irrigation.There is a new player for water, which is oil and gas," said Kent Peppler, president of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. "And certainly they are in a position to pay a whole lot more than we are."3. Bad for babies.The waste fluid left over from the fracking process is left in open-air pits to evaporate, which releases dangerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere, creating contaminated air, acid rain and ground-level ozone.Exposure to diesel particulate matter, hydrogen sulfide and volatile hydrocarbons can lead to a host of health problems, including asthma, headaches, high blood pressure, anemia, heart attacks and cancer.It can also have a damaging effect on immune and reproductive systems, as well as fetal and child development. A 2014 study conducted by the Colorado Department of Environmental and Occupational Health found that mothers who live near fracking sites are 30 percent more likely to have babies with congenital heart defects.Research from Cornell University indicates an increased prevalence of low birth weight and reduced APGAR scores in infants born to mothers living near fracking sites in Pennsylvania. And in Wyoming's Sublette County, the fracking boom has been linked to dangerous spikes in ozone concentrations. A study led by the state's Department of Health found that these ozone spikes are associated with increased outpatient clinic visits for respiratory problems.4. Killer gas.A recent study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that homes located in suburban and rural areas near fracking sites have an overall radon concentration 39 percent higher than those located in non-fracking urban areas. The study included almost 2 million radon readings taken between 1987 and 2013 done in over 860,000 buildings from every county, mostly homes.A naturally occurring radioactive gas formed by the decay of uranium in rock, soil and water, radon—odorless, tasteless and invisible—moves through the ground and into the air, while some remains dissolved in groundwater where it can appear in water wells. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer worldwide, after smoking. The EPA estimates approximately 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. are radon-related."Between 2005-2013, 7,469 unconventional wells were drilled in Pennsylvania. Basement radon concentrations fluctuated between 1987-2003, but began an upward trend from 2004-2012 in all county categories," the researchers wrote.That trending period just happens to start when Pennsylvania's fracking boom began: Between Jan. 1, 2005, and March 2, 2012, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued 10,232 drilling permits; only 36 requests were denied.5. Shifting sands.In addition to all the water and toxic chemicals, fracking requires the use of fine sand, or frac sand, which has driven a silica sand mining boom in Minnesota and Wisconsin, which together have 164 active frac sand facilities with 20 more proposed. Both states are where most of the stuff is produced and where regulations are lax for air and water pollution monitoring. Northeastern Iowa has also become a primary source."Silica can impede breathing and cause respiratory irritation, cough, airway obstruction and poor lung function," according to Environmental Working Group. "Chronic or long-term exposure can lead to lung inflammation, bronchitis and emphysema and produce a severe lung disease known as silicosis, a form of pulmonary fibrosis. Silica-related lung disease is incurable and can be fatal, killing hundreds of workers in the U.S. each year.""I could feel dust clinging to my face and gritty particles on my teeth,” said Victoria Trinko, a resident of Bloomer, Wisconsin. Within nine months of the construction of frac sand mine, about a half-mile from her home, she developed a sore throat and raspy voice and was eventually diagnosed with environment-caused asthma. She hasn't opened her windows since 2012.Across the 33-county frac sand mining area that spans Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, nearly 60,000 people live less than half a mile from existing or proposed mines. And new danger zones will likely pop up around the nation: Due to the fracking boom, environmentalists and public health advocates warn that frac sand mines could spread to several states with untapped silica deposits, including Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia.Bryan Shinn, the chief executive of sand mining company U.S. Silica Holdings said in September that due to the fracking boom, they "see a clear pathway to the volume of sand demand that's out there doubling or tripling in the next four to five years."6. Shake, rattle and roll.On April 20, the U.S. Geological Survey released a long-awaited report that confirmed what many scientists have long speculated: the fracking process causes earthquakes. Specifically, over the last seven years, geologically stable regions of the U.S., including parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas, have experienced movements in faults that have not moved in millions of years. Plus, it's difficult or impossible to predict where future fracking-caused earthquakes will occur."They're ancient faults," said USGS geophysicist William Ellsworth. "We don’t always know where they are."Ellsworth led the USGS team that analyzed changes in earthquake occurrence rates in the central and eastern United States since 1970. They found that between 1973–2008, there was an average of 21 earthquakes of at least magnitude three. From 2009-2013, the region experienced 99 M3+ earthquakes per year. And the rate is still rising. In Oklahoma, there were 585 earthquakes in 2014—more than in the last 35 years combined."The increase in seismicity has been found to coincide with the injection of wastewater in deep disposal wells in several locations, including Colorado, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Ohio," the report states. "Much of this wastewater is a byproduct of oil and gas production and is routinely disposed of by injection into wells specifically designed and approved for this purpose."For many years, Oklahoma's government has been reluctant to concede the connection between fracking and earthquakes. In October of last year, during a gubernatorial election debate with state Rep. Joe Dorman, a Democrat, Governor Mary Fallin, a Republican, declined to say whether or not she believed earthquakes were caused by fracking. Fallin was re-elected.But the government has finally come around. The day after the USGS report was released, on April 21, the Oklahoma Geological Survey, a state agency, released a statement saying that is it "very likely that the majority of recent earthquakes, particularly those is central and north-central Oklahoma, are triggered by the injection of produced water in disposal wells."The same day, the state's energy and environment department launched a website that explains the finding along with an earthquake map and what the government is doing about it all. According to the site, "Oklahoma state agencies are not waiting to take action."Now there is a split between the state's governmental branches: Two days after the executive branch admitted that fracking causes earthquakes, the state's lawmakers, evidently unmoved by the trembling ground, passed two bills, backed by the oil and gas industry, that limit the ability of local communities to decide if they want fracking in their backyards.7. The heat is on.Natural gas is mostly methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas that traps 86 times as much heat as carbon dioxide. And because methane leaks during the fracking process, fracking may be worse than burning coal, mooting the claim that natural gas burns more cleanly than coal."When you frack, some of that gas leaks out into the atmosphere," writes 350.org: A global campaign to confront the climate crisis co-founder Bill McKibben. "If enough of it leaks out before you can get it to a power plant and burn it, then it's no better, in climate terms, than burning coal. If enough of it leaks, America's substitution of gas for coal is in fact not slowing global warming."A recent international satellite study on North American fracking production led by the Institute of Environmental Physics at the University of Bremen in Germany found that "fugitive methane emissions" caused by the fracking process "may counter the benefit over coal with respect to climate change" and that "net climate benefit…is unlikely.""Even small leaks in the natural gas production and delivery system can have a large climate impact—enough to gut the entire benefit of switching from coal-fired power to gas," writes Joe Romm, the founding editor of the blog Climate Progress. "The climate will likely be ruined already well past most of our lifespans by the time natural gas has a net climate benefit."8. Quid pro quo?Finally, one of the more insidious side effects of fracking is less about the amount of chemicals flowing into the ground and more about the amount of money flowing into politicians' campaign coffers from the fracking industry.According to a 2013 report by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), contributions from fracking trade groups and companies operating fracking wells to congressional candidates representing states and districts where fracking occurs rose by more than 230 percent between the 2004 and 2012 election cycles, from $2.1 million to $6.9 million.That is nearly twice as much as the increase in contributions from the fracking industry to candidates from non-fracking districts during the same period, outpacing contributions from the entire oil and gas industry to all congressional candidates. Republican congressional candidates have received nearly 80 percent of fracking industry contributions."The fracking boom isn’t just good for the industry, but also for congressional candidates in fracking districts," said CREW executive director Melanie Sloan.The candidate who has received the most in contributions from the fracking industry is Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX). Barton received more than $500,000 between the 2004 and 2012 election cycles—over $100,000 more than any other candidate in the nation. It should come as no surprise that Barton sponsored the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which exempted fracking from federal oversight under the Safe Drinking Water Act.On April 21, Colorado and Wyoming filed a lawsuit challenging the new federal fracking regulations issued last month by the Bureau of Land Management for onshore drilling on tribal and public lands, claiming that the rule, which regulates underground injections in the fracking process, "exceeds the agency's statutory jurisdiction.""The debate over hydraulic fracturing is complicated enough without the federal government encroaching on states’ rights," said Colorado Attorney General Cynthia H. Coffman, in a statement. "This lawsuit will demonstrate that BLM exceeds its powers when it invades the states’ regulatory authority in this area."Coffman, a Republican, is married to Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman (CO-8), also a Republican. Coffman and two other GOP representatives from the state, Scott Tipton (CO-3) and Doug Lamborn (CO-5), have sponsored a trio of bills—H.R. 4321, 4382 and 4383 (called the “3 Stooges” bills by environmentalists)—that would fast-track leasing and permitting for drilling and fracking on public lands. These three congressmen, each of whom have received more than $100,000 in contributions from the oil and gas industry, sit on the Natural Resources Committee and naturally oppose federal regulations on fracking.Short-Term ThinkingFracking proponents point to the fact that it produces natural gas and jobs; indeed takes credit for boosting the economy during the recession. But at what cost to public health and the environment? And can the true cost be known when there is a lack of transparency in the fracking industry?With little federal oversight, states have created a non-uniform patchwork of regulation: Illinois requires fracking companies to disclose information about the chemicals they use before they drill and monitor groundwater through the process, while Virginia doesn't require any disclosure."So far, the industry has successfully fended off almost all federal regulation of fracking, in part through key exemptions from federal laws such as the Safe Drinking Water Act, which otherwise would allow the EPA to directly regulate fracking and other aspects of oil and gas production," says CREW.The FRAC Act (Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act) would require the energy industry to disclose all chemicals used in fracturing fluid and also repeal fracking's exemption from the Safe Drinking Water Act.Of course, everyone wants reliable domestically produced energy that creates jobs and energy independence. But nothing comes for free. And in the case of fracking, still with so many unknowns, the price in the long run may be too great.That's part of the message that Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) hope the American public gets. On April 22, Earth Day, the two lawmakers introduced the Protect Our Public Lands Act, H.R. 1902. The strongest anti-fracking bill ever introduced into Congress, it seeks to ban fracking on public lands. Today, 90 percent of federally managed lands are open for potential oil and gas leasing; the remaining 10 percent are reserved for conservation, recreation, wildlife and cultural heritage."Our national parks, forests and public lands are some of our most treasured places and need to be protected for future generations,” said Pocan. "It is clear fracking has a detrimental impact on the environment and there are serious safety concerns associated with these type of wells. Until we fully understand the effects, the only way to avoid these risks is to halt fracking entirely. We should not allow short-term economic gain to harm our public lands, damage our communities or endanger workers."Sounds logical enough. But with oil and gas money steering the Republican-controlled Congress, the bill is dead in the radioactive wastewater.Source : GoogleThank you

Laws Surrounding Tiny Houses You Must KnowMany states still don’t have specific laws surrounding tiny houses. However, this doesn’t mean that you won’t run into trouble when building one.The biggest restrictions on tiny houses will come during the building process.This is because builders still have to follow zoning regulations that are put in place by that state.One good thing to note is that even if your state doesn’t have laws, you still have options. This is because it doesn’t matter the size of the home in order to get permits to build it. All that matters is that you obtain proper permits.This way your house, no matter how small, can still be deemed safe to live in.The biggest problem that people run in to, however, is actually living in their tiny house.While you may be able to obtain zoning permits to build your home, you might have a difficult time living there full time.This is why so many people choose to build tiny homes that can be moved.Finding a permanent lot that can be lived in year-round can be tricky. But it doesn’t mean that it can’t be done. People have found creative solutions to still live in their tiny house without breaking the law.We have written an article about why tiny houses are illegal in some states. It has lots of tips and tricks to help keep yourself safe from the law while living in a tiny house.The US States Which Are the Most Tiny-House FriendlyBefore we start we would like to point out that the information below should not be taken as legal advice. It’s simply the information we have been able to dig up. We are not your lawyers.That being said, we believe this is a great list of things to be aware of (for each state) when you want to build a tiny house.ArizonaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.In Pima County, tiny houses which are built on foundations are legal in any zones which allow “detached single-family dwellings.” They have also addressed regulations about tiny houses in order to accommodate people who want to downsize.Tiny houses which are built on a chassis (that is where the suspension/axle components have been removed and the chassis permanently attached on a permanent foundation) are treated as factory-built buildings.This means they are only allowed in certain areas.Generally speaking:Minimum dwelling/room/ceiling height/windows/door/fixture/accessibility dimensions do not apply.Ladders may replace a staircase to loft areas.Loft areas may have reduced fall protection.The number of electrical circuits may be reduced to reflect loads.Alternative compliance with NFPA 501 for mechanical/electrical systems is recognized.Coconino County, Arizona is another county which is trying to support the tiny house community.CaliforniaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.Generally speaking, California is one of the US states which is most accommodating to tiny homes. Most of the cities allow tiny homes and classify them as “accessory dwelling units” (ADUs).Did you know, Fresno was the first city in the country to approve tiny houses (on wheels) as secondary dwelling units?California Title 25 won’t allow peoples “recreational vehicle” to be used as a dwelling unit.ColoradoThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.Counties have also made some specific changes in their laws, in the case of accessory-dwelling units (ADUs) as well. Unfortunately, these aren’t state-wide changes.In Walsenburg, Colorado, the regulators have made it easier to build and own a tiny house. They have:Waved minimum sq. footageReduced the requirement for the size of the exit doorWaved stairway regulationsPark County, Colorado has become somewhat of a haven for tiny home enthusiasts and have made allowances for people who own tiny houses such as waving these specific regulations:Having a living room of more than 220 sq. ft with 100 sq. ft per occupant (in stick-built dwellings)Separate closetsClear working spaces of more than 30 inches in your kitchen including the spaces for your kitchen sink, refrigeration unit, and your cooking appliancesSeparate bathrooms with water closets/showers/bathtubs, and lavatoriesHowever, light, ventilation, and life safety requirements still have to be met regardless of the size of your dwelling. In addition, provisions for mechanical equipment (like pressure tank, heat, and hot water) will be required alsoAll light, ventilation and life safety requirements must be met regardless of dwelling size.In cases where the efficiency dwelling unit is not a component of a multi-unit structure, provisions for mechanical equipment (heat, hot water, pressure tank, etc.) will be required as well.FloridaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary. However, Florida requires that any tiny home on wheels must be registered in the Florida DMV.In Sarasota County, they require tiny houses on wheels to stay at RV parks, but for no more than 45 days. If they stay for more than 45 days, they need to have foundations.St. Petersburg requires that any dwelling unit needs to have a floor area of no less than 375 sq. ft. On the other end of the scale, it can’t exceed 750 sq. ft.Orange County says that the minimum sq. ft of an ADU is 400 sq. ft.Florida hosts a large amount of RV parks and tiny house hotels for enthusiasts in order to try tiny living in their communities. They are one of the many states which are helping the tiny house and minimalist movements.GeorgiaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.Decatur, Georgia has adopted an ordinance called the Unified Development Ordinance which doesn’t require that ADUs have a minimum sq. footage. This was adopted back in 2014 when the movement first started to gain traction.Talk about forward-thinking!Atlanta, Georgia is more lenient when it comes to “guest houses”, which are allowed in R-1 through R-5 zones. There are a few restrictions when it comes to the classification of “guest houses”. For example, guest houses can’t have a stove, nor can it allow someone to stay in the home full time.That would change the classification to an ADU, which are only allowed in R-5 districts.Unfortunately, tiny houses on wheels haven’t been defined or classified in most zoning ordinances and (in most zoning districts) it is illegal to rent an ADU out.Local municipalities are having to keep up with the tiny house movement because it is moving much faster than their codes and regulations can keep up with. Because of that, a lot of counties in Georgia are allowing tiny houses more leeway and showing how much, they value the movement by making tiny home living affordable.IdahoThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.However, the state of Idaho is one of the first to talk about modular, manufactured, RV, and tiny homes in the same categories. There are still strict regulations for tiny homes, but they are working with tiny home enthusiasts and minimalists to ensure that everyone feels welcome and safe.In order to comply with most of the regulations in Idaho, tiny houses must either be:Site Built (constructed like a building in a location where it will be used and cannot be moved)Modular (the components or the building itself—other than manufactured homes—must be mostly or entirely prefabricated or assembled at the location which isn’t the building site)Comply with HUD manufactured home construction and follow their safety standardsA recreational vehicle (travel trailer, truck camper, motor home, or a camping trailer designed for human habitation) with a maximum width of eight and a half ft.No matter if it is modular, site-built, or manufactured, it must have a minimum of 150 sq. ft.IndianaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary. In Indiana, each county is allowed to establish its own specific building codes. Also, they exclude codes which are considered private homes that are built by the individuals living there and will be used for their own occupancy.This is called the Log Cabin Rule.The Log Cabin Rule doesn’t apply to tiny homes on wheels. They must have a foundation.This rule was set in place to help honor the traditional housing in the state.There are many different tiny home communities in Indiana. There are plenty of “regular” housing communities who are willing to open their neighborhoods to tiny houses and even offer areas for tiny homes.KansasThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary. Compared to other places, Kansas allows a number of single-dwelling residential districts where ADUs are permitted.While they aren’t permitted in RS5 or RS3 districts, they are allowed in RS7, RS10, RS20, and RS,40 districts.There are specific rules for tiny houses which are built on foundations and on wheels.As for tiny houses built on foundations:One room must be 120 sq. ft other rooms–except for the bathroom and kitchen–must be at least 50 sq. ft (according to IRC 2012).The smallest single-dwelling residential district you can build a tiny home on is an RS3 district (which has a 3,000 sq. ft. min.)Solar and small wind devices are allowed as long as they don’t go over 35ft in height. The IFC regulates the use of propane.Composting toilets aren’t yet allowedFor tiny homes on wheels:Camping in tiny homes is allowed at approved campgroundsThere are no current codes which let you park your tiny home in a backyard or on privately owned land.As a whole, tiny homes on wheels are more difficult to live in (legally) in the state of Kansas). But since each county has different rules and regulations, it’s best to check with the local municipality for their rules.MaineThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.Maine has made some statewide construction regulations for tiny houses. They define them as a dwelling which is less than 400 sq. ft. They allow:sleeping lofts,permitting ladder access to lofts,and approving skylights as points of emergency egressTowns are still able to approve or deny the construction of tiny houses.Usually, if your tiny house is built on a foundation, it needs to comply with the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code.You can camp in a tiny house (which is on wheels) in North Yarmouth, Maine if:When placed on a site for more than 120 days per year, all requirements for residential structures are met.You do not build on a permanent foundation.It is on the lot existing before the date of the ordinance or larger than 30,000 sq. ft.Maine is one of the most accommodating states involved in the tiny house movement. They were one of the first states to adopt state-wide construction guidelines for tiny homes. It’s also common for people in Maine to convert old boat houses into tiny houses as a secondary home.They are cute, and they maintain the New England maritime culture.MassachusettsThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.ADUs are allowed in many towns and cities in Massachusetts. Specifications of an ADU are different in each town or city so make sure you check with the guidelines in your city.For example, Nantucket will allow you to have a third dwelling which can be up to 550 sq. ft.The state hasn’t clearly addressed or defined what tiny houses on wheels are. So, it is more difficult to live in a mobile tiny house.But, owning a tiny on foundations as an ADU doesn’t seem to be much of a problem.MichiganThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.The Briley Township in Michigan has defined the ‘Economy Efficient Dwelling’ as a new kind of tiny home dwelling.An economy efficient dwelling is more than 240 sq. ft but less than 500 sq. ft. It has a minimum side elevation of between 12 and 20 ft. An economy efficient dwelling has to be placed on a foundation which is both approved and permanent.The state has also adapted their zoning regulations to be more friendly to tiny homes.MinnesotaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.There are two types of tiny houses in Minnesota: RVs and ADUs (accessory dwelling units). ADUs must be on a foundation to be filed under the same Minnesota State Building Code as “housing.”Tiny houses are more in demand than ever but finding a place to park or build proves tricky.There are a number of municipalities which support of tiny homes as an option for:the elderly,the disabled,or those nearing end of life.NebraskaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.Tiny homes which are considered to be manufactured (mobile) homes that are with the rules and regulations of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Federal Manufactured Home Act are given a HUD manufactured home label.Modular tiny homes with applicable construction codes (the International Residential Code and the National Electrical Code adopted by Nebraska) are issued the Nebraska Modular Housing Unit label.RVs (motorhomes, park trailers, travel trailers) must be built with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard on Recreational Vehicles, NFPA 1192 or the Park Model Recreational Vehicle Standard.All of these structures in Nebraska are legally required to have the appropriate State or Federal label attesting to compliance with the relevant building codes affixed to them.Tiny houses, like all other houses and recreational vehicles, will be subject the zoning requirements of local jurisdictions which vary widely by jurisdiction.Nebraska has made a document which references these types of tiny houses. While the document states that zoning requirements are up to local jurisdictions, cities like Lincoln have been quite welcoming to the tiny home community.NevadaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.In Clark County, Nevada sheds over 200 sq. ft need a building permit. Also, ADUs cannot have a kitchen or cooking facilities.The code requirements don’t specifically mention tiny homes–but they can work around some of the regulations.New HampshireThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.The state now has a law which allows ADUs. Communities in New Hampshire do not require ADUs to be occupied by the owner, but they do require the owner to live on the property.Hampshire has seen great improvement after they legalized ADUs.New MexicoThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.Generally speaking, most of the towns and counties that allow ADUs and tiny homes state that:It must have a room which is at least 70 sq. ft and no less than seven ft in any direction (including the ceiling).Each tiny house must have sanitary facilities (toilet, sink, and either a bath or shower).The bathroom and kitchen sink have to have both hot and cold water.The plumbing fixtures must be connected to an approved sewage system.The whole structure has to sit on a foundation which is considered permanentIt needs to meet the requirement of the New Mexico Energy Conservation Code.There are a number of things which must be included, and which need to be regulated such as:WindowsPermanent heating facilitiesWall-switch lightingBathroom windows or exhaust fansSmoke alarmsA door (leading to the outside) which must be at least 32 inches wide and 78 inches highNorth CarolinaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.In Wilmington, North Carolina, tiny houses must meet the following criteria:Requires at least 150 sq. ft for the first occupant, and at least 100 sq. ft for each additional occupantA tiny house must abide by additional housing ordinances.In Winston-Salem:Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are allowed on single-family lots as long as they are occupied by relatives, caretakers, etc.Antique and custom-built vehicles presented for first-time titling and registration in North Carolina must be examined and photographed by a local NC Division of Motor Vehicles inspector.In North Carolina, the residents of the state are somewhat divided over tiny homes.Some are worried they could ruin the character (of the classic towns), while others think they could be the perfect solution to rising housing costs and high-density areas.OregonThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.Oregon is one of the few states which allow titles to tiny houses on wheels. However, until the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) is able to assume responsibility for codes and inspections, tiny house on wheels owners will have to get a special trip permit and commercial hauler to move their homes.Specifically, in Portland, residential properties can host one tiny house or RV.While some of the rules and regulations involving tiny homes can be a little confusing and convoluted at times, Oregon still has many flourishing tiny home communities.This state is also home to the famous Tiny House Hotel.PennsylvaniaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.In Philadelphia, there is no minimum house size, but, tiny houses must meet the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009.A tiny house needs to have one room of 120 sq. ft or more.Other rooms must be at least 70 sq. ft or more (except for kitchens) including height to the ceiling.Pennsylvania is one of the friendlier tiny house states to date. In fact, a community in Elizabethtown claims to be the largest tiny house community in the United States. Pretty impressive!Rural areas of Pennsylvania will likely be the easiest when it comes to finding a place to park your tiny.Be sure to check with the local municipalities for specifics.South CarolinaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.Greenville County allows permanent tiny houses (even on wheels) if they are 400 sq. ft or less.Meanwhile, Rock Hill, South Carolina sets the minimum sq. footage at 850 sq. ft.The rise in housing costs has added to the growing popularity of tiny houses in South Carolina. The local ordinances can be a little picky because some counties address tiny homes (specifically) but others don’t know how to classify them.South DakotaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.In Spearfish, South Dakota:A permanent tiny house on foundations that is building code compliant is permitted in all residential zoning districts in Spearfish.A temporary tiny house on wheels can be located on any commercial campground in Spearfish.In Beresford, South Dakota a tiny house:Must have the exterior width of at least 8.5 ft or more than 20 ft.Can’t be any smaller than 187 sq. ft with no less than 50 additional sq. ft per additional person.Which is not on wheels must be secured on a foundation.Which is on wheels must be secured to a licensed trailer.Has to be tightly secured to the ground when parked in order to withstand the weather. Learn more here (page 44, section 12.5).TennesseeThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.In Etowah, Tennessee, they have amended the ordinance which will now allow the building of tiny homes with a minimum of 800 sq. ft in R1 zones. There is a minimum of 600 sq. ft in R2 and R3 zones.In Dandridge, Tennessee they have created guidelines which will regulate tiny houses on permanent foundations from 100-300 sq. ft.Knoxville, Tennessee follows the 2012 International Residential Code (IRC). The regulation for a one-person occupancy requires a minimum of 120 sq. ft, while two-people require 320 sq. ft. It is not allowed to exceed three people.Meanwhile, in Warren County, Tennessee regulations require a minimum sq. footage of 138 sq. ft.TexasThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.In Breckenridge, Texas requires foundations (permanent) for tiny houses with a minimum of 320 sq. ft.Fort Worth, Texas says that ADUs may not be larger than 400 sq. ft. Currently, the ADU permits must be done in-person at Town Hall. No online forms.Austin, Texas allows tiny houses to be any size as long as they are on foundations. However, tiny homes on wheels are thought of and categorized as recreational vehicles (RVs) and are required to follow RV rules.Spur, Texas has been proclaimed as the first “tiny house friendly” town in America. They do not require a minimum sq. footage.The only real regulation which is special to tiny homes is that tiny houses on wheels are to be tied down, with the wheels removed.Texas is one of the states at the forefront of the tiny house movement. Since the rising prices of homes (in the area and in general) can make it difficult to buy a home, tiny living is an excellent housing option which is affordable.VermontThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.Burlington, Virginia permits tiny homes as ADUs with no minimum sq. footage.Williston lets tiny houses have a maximum of 1500 sq. ft.Vermont’s major cities are strict when it comes to tiny houses. Tiny home enthusiasts and minimalists can build around certain regulations and can work with the law if they build as an ADU.There are even people who park tiny houses on wheels in rural areas and often to fly under the radar.It’s a bit like dispersed camping but with your entire home.The LEAST Tiny-House Friendly StatesDeciding where to live is such a personal choice. There are a ton of factors to consider. Many people who are looking to downsize their life are not interested in picking up and moving cross-country.However, not every state is suited for the tiny house living.Here are some of the laws by state to help make your decision a little easier:AlabamaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.In the state regulations, tiny houses are never specifically addressed. However, Jefferson County does allow ADUs in districts that aren’t more than 200 sq. ft.According to Alabama Tiny Homes, tiny houses are in the process of being widely accepted in the public.AlaskaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.In Anchorage, Tiny houses on wheels are treated like RVs. They are restricted to R-5 zones.If they are on foundations or built as manufactured homes, tiny homes face fewer restrictions on location. However, they will need a “conditional use” permit.If they are on municipal property, tiny homes must be connected to water and sewage.There has been a lot of interest in tiny homes, through Alaska. However, there aren’t many in the state. Tiny houses aren’t “officially” allowed in the city of Anchorage. Areas near the cities are flexible, but there aren’t any specific tiny house building codes set.ArkansasThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.In Walnut Ridge, the city voted on restricting homes to a minimum of 600 sq. ft.Rogers, Arkansas only allows tiny homes in a residential area if they are built on a foundation, from the ground up, on the property.They also rezoned a portion of lots (around the Bella Vista Lake Park area) in order to allow a tiny house community there.While Arkansas has made it somewhat difficult to build and live in a tiny home, there have been some areas who have been trying to help the movement. Included in these are areas which view tiny homes on wheels as RVs. While that restricts them to mobile home parks and RV parks, it is a start to—hopefully—a bigger chain of events.ConnecticutThere are no discussions or proposals which indicate that the state of Connecticut is willing to open themselves up for tiny living. They are strict about their land use and housing developments.The zoning regulations don’t allow for tiny homes.As such, tiny home enthusiasts in the area are looking for an advocate to speak up for them.DelawareDelaware does not have any specific regulations for tiny homes but there are organizations which are trying to make tiny houses available as an option for people who need affordable housing.As of the date on this article, the state requires that the people who own and live in tiny homes (on wheels) need to get a title within the month after they purchase it.Also, anything that is eight feet by forty feet (or has more than 400 sq. ft) are considered mobile homes by the Delaware DMV.Anything smaller is considered a trailer.HawaiiThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary. People who own tiny homes in Hawaii can:Purchase a plot of land for their homeFind private property from someone who will allow their home on their landMost likely NOT be in areas where there are “restrictive covenants (like CC & Rs)Register their tiny home on wheels with the DMV as a “travel trailer”(if they have their home on wheels) be subject to zoning restrictionsIn Hawaii, there is a Tiny House Initiative which is hoping to help solve the farm working housing challenges on the islands.Since the state relies heavily on tourism, there is a rise in the prices of housing and land, which is not great for the farmers who are under strict housing codes.Fingers crossed that the tiny house initiative will bring some positive changes for the farmers and those affected by the rise in housing prices.IllinoisThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary. Tiny houses are allowed in:Mobile home parksCampgroundsPrivate propertyOtherwise, it is the law of the counties which have authority on whether you can or can’t live in a tiny home.They are illegal in Chicago. However, as you get into more rural places, it becomes more of a “gray area” to live in a tiny home.If they are on wheels, they’re classified as recreational trailersIowaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.For example, the Council of Iowa Falls made changes to the City Code which reduced the minimum size of a house from 600 sq. ft. to 500 sq. ft.It’s still difficult to build your tiny home in Iowa but it is catching on in places where the housing and land costs are so high.The biggest pitfall has to do with the local zoning ordinances which dictate how small your sq. footage or lot needs to be.KentuckyThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.If they follow the necessary codes, tiny homes are allowed in the Louisville Metro area if they are considered:Permanent or site built (built on a foundation, and are reviews and processed like any other home)Prefabricated or modular (fabricated off-site, assembled on-sit, placed on foundations with documentations and reviews after this process)Portable (home on wheels would fall into this category but it would need to be moved to an area for permanent placement, not to mention, it is still subject to zoning requirementsLouisianaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary. All cities, however, are required to follow the 2012 International Residential Code (IRC), which states that:One room must be at least 120 sq. ft in sizeLofts must have windows and stairs (ladders don’t count)Three feet for stairs, doors, and hallways, and ceilings need to be at least 7 feet tall.Because of that, the tiny home enthusiasts in the state are hoping that the 2015 IRC will take into effect soon, which will negate the specifics which make building a tiny home difficult.MarylandThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary. However, they aren’t acknowledged by the state at all.Laws are slightly friendlier to tiny houses built on foundations but there are still zoning laws which restrict people from living in those tiny houses. It is easier if tiny home enthusiasts want to go to a more rural place, however, big changes need to be made.MississippiThere aren’t any laws in place which govern tiny houses. While tiny houses were used after Hurricane Katrina (as emergency shelters), the local governments haven’t taken any action which will make those tiny home considered as permanent housing.MissouriThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary. If they are on wheels, tiny homes are considered to be travel trailers. This term is defined as a “portable vehicular unit mounted on wheels, which is designed to provide temporary living quarters for camping, travel, or recreational use.While they don’t require special highway permits (when they are being pulled by a motorized vehicle), that only works if there aren’t wardrobe, closet, kitchen, bath, or toilet rooms.Other than that, they aren’t allowed in the city. It is considered unlawful to park your tiny home on wheels, on the street or anywhere which is considered public property. But they are allowed in the case of disasters.MontanaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.You can register a tiny home (self-built) but it will need to be restricted to the term travel trailer or RV.New JerseyThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary. Regulations are in the works, but many counties are working against them. The Tuckerton Land Use Board (for example) denied a tiny house community for veterans. The Rockland town only allow the storage of a recreational vehicle on a residential lot, if it is unoccupied.Haverstraw, New Jersey allows caretaker’s cottages if the lot is larger than two acres.New YorkIn New York, temporary structures like as tiny houses are not allowed.You can register a tiny house on wheels, but you will not be able to live in one full-time. If you live further away from major cities, it is more likely you will be able to live in your tiny home under the radar.North DakotaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.The regulations in Burleigh County are:The minimum size requirement of 965 sq. ft,can be placed on agricultural lots.houses on wheels must be placed on a foundation.must have access to water, sewer, electricity, and gas.must meet standard building codes.does not currently allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs).Meanwhile, North Dakota Century Code and the Burleigh County Ordinance does not prohibit any tiny home which is placed on a lot of 40 acres or more.OhioThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary. Most of the areas in Ohio don’t know how to classify tiny homes so they end up falling in the “variance” category in a few counties.Cleveland requires at least 950 sq. ft for a home.ADUs are permitted if they are not a primary place of dwelling.OklahomaThere are not yet any regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.If they are placed on foundations, they have a better chance of meeting building codes and zoning requirements. Houses on wheels must be in the same category as RVsRhode IslandThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.Make sure to check with your local municipality for building codes and zoning regulations.More recently, they have passed a law (state-wide) which allows owner-occupants of a single-family home to build ADUs for seniors they are related to if the senior relative is at least 62 years old.UtahThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.Washington County, Utah allows a minimum sq. footage of under 300 ft for a tiny home as long as they are on foundations and hooked up to utilities. Tiny houses on wheels are defined as “park model recreational vehicles.”Salt Lake City, Utah, allows ADUs which are either 50% of the sq. footage of the main structure on the property or 650 sq. ft, whichever is bigger.Eagle Mountain City, Utah lets tiny homes on wheels in R1 zones.VirginiaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.Staunton County, Virginia allows you a tiny home with a minimum of 200 sq. ft.Virginia Beach does not have specific ordinances for tiny houses. They do, however, treat them like any other residential space as long as they meet the Virginia building codes.WashingtonThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.Woodland, WA allows ADUs to be between 300 and 800 sq. ft.Tiny houses in King County must be on a permanent foundation.It is much easier to live in a tiny home in Washington State if it is on a foundation and not in a place where you need to park it.West VirginiaThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.Jefferson County, West Virginia allows ADUs which have a maximum of 1700 sq. ft.WisconsinThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.Madison, Wisconsin won’t allow tiny houses on wheels less than 150 sq. ft. If they are bigger than that, they are considered “portable shelters”.Dad County, Wisconsin says ADUs can’t be more than 800 sq. ft.WyomingThe regulations and codes in each of the towns, cities, and county vary.In Casper, WY, tiny houses must be/have:on foundations (and then are defined as “efficiency dwelling units”a living room of 220 sq. ft. or more (if both the living room and bedroom are joined)120 sq. ft. if they are separateDefined as a trailer if it is on wheels and must be put on an R6 zoning districtFinal ThoughtsWhile it is easy to follow the trends when it comes to where to build your tiny house, where is the fun in that?Don’t be discouraged by outdated state laws. Instead, try to change them!The only reason why certain states have better laws to allow for tiny houses is that someone pushed for them. So, if you find that your dream state is not ideal for your tiny house, push to be the change!Chances are you can find plenty of like-minded people in your area that want to do the same.Good luck.