Sharon Wilson, a former Denton resident who has campaigned for stronger environmental regulations, told Al Jazeera more than 100 locals spoke out “overwhelmingly” in favor of a fracking ban during the public testimony.

"There were only a tiny handful of people from Denton that opposed the ban," Wilson said. "Everyone else who opposed the ban was from industry, coming from outside Denton."

Chris Watts, Denton's mayor, told The Texas Tribune he voted against the ban to give the citizens the right to decide.

The city sits atop the Barnett Shale, estimated to be one of the largest natural-gas reserves in the United States. Though the drilling is a boon for the city’s economy, many residents complain that fracking is increasingly encroaching on their daily lives.

The heavily drilled city of 121,000 people has more than 270 natural-gas wells, and there are few restrictions about where such drilling can take place. Rules imposed by the City Council in 2013 prohibit the drilling of new wells within 1,200 feet of homes, but there are many existing wells much closer to residential neighborhoods.

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a process in which sand, water and chemicals are shot underground at high pressures to release trapped oil or gas deposits.

Environmentalists argue the process can contaminate nearby water supplies, and seismologists have linked the disposal of fracking wastewater to an increase in earthquakes in some places. Towns just a few hours away from Denton, like Reno and Azle, don't have histories of seismic activity, but have faced dozens of earthquakes in the past year amid increased drilling.

Wilson said one resident, an engineer who lives less than 200 feet from the drilling, said her children have been traumatized by the deafening noises involved in the process — which she said even takes place during the night, complete with bright lights that some residents say keep them up at night.

Some residents have also complained of nosebleeds, headaches and nausea as a result of chemicals they are exposed to as part of the fracking process.