In a rush of 11th-hour activity, the North Carolina legislature gave final approval to a bill allowing the state to issue permits for hydraulic fracturing for gas extraction. The bill now goes to Governor Pat McCrory, who has already signaled his intention to sign it.

Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, involves injecting a mixture of water, chemicals and sand or gravel into rock under high pressure in order to force out natural gas or oil.

North Carolina had a moratorium in place, prohibiting fracking until the state approved new rules to regulate the practice, but Thursday’s bill leapfrogs the process. The new law will see permits issued 61 days after the state finalizes its regulations.

Legislation passed in the Republican-dominated Senate without debate hours after the N.C. House, led by Speaker Thom Tillis, North Carolina’s GOP nominee for U.S. Senate, approved the bill after voting down or blocking with parliamentary maneuvers about a dozen amendments.