DE, NJ, PA agree to curb fracking in Delaware River Basin

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The governors of Delaware, New York and Pennsylvania announced that they had voted in favor of a resolution to issue draft regulations to curb hydraulic fracturing “fracking” for oil and gas in the Delaware River Basin. The basin provides drinking water to Philadelphia and the New York City area.

The DRBC vote was three to one with New Jersey abstaining in passing the resolution for developing regulations that would essentially ban  fracking, which involves injecting chemicals and sand into wells to tap natural gas.

Pennsylvania, which is a major producer of natural gas through fracking,  has only a couple of counties in the basin that are likely production areas, although promising formations are as close as  Bucks County,  PA.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has been reluctant to cooperate with Democratic governors on this issue and also pulled out of  the regional greenhouse gas consortium that aims to cut pollution, but is also blamed for driving up electricity cost.

New Jersey and Delaware do not have the Marcellus Shale formations that produce natural gas through fracking.  

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Development of oil and gas using hydraulic fracturing in the Delaware River basin has been an issue since 2010, when the DRBC’s five commissioners voted unanimously to “postpone consideration of well pad dockets until regulations are adopted.”

Pennsylvania and New York have both developed comprehensive programs to effectively manage wastes and waste products produced as a result of high-volume hydraulic hydro-fracturing operations, a release stated.

However, fracking opponents claimed the steps taken by the commission on managing fracking chemicals were not adequate and stopped short of a full ban.

Delaware  Gov.  John Carney said that the DRBC resolution is consistent with the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act, a bill introduced by Carney and passed by Congress in 2016.

 “Fracking could diminish water resources in the Delaware River Basin, both through consumption and degraded water quality,” said  Carney. “We are pleased to join both New York and Pennsylvania in voting in favor of this resolution, which will protect public health, and a precious water supply. This action will guarantee that fracking for oil and gas will not threaten water resources in the basin.”

The Delaware River Basin, which drains from portions of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, supplies drinking water to more than 15 million people. Governors of the four basin states and a federal representative serve as Delaware River Basin Commissioners, tasked with overseeing a unified approach to managing the river system without regard to political boundaries. The commission has oversight in the basin for water quality protection, water supply allocation, regulatory review (permitting), water conservation initiatives, watershed planning, drought management, flood loss reduction, and recreation.

The DRBC resolution comes after Congressional passage last December of the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act. Authored by then-Congressman Carney and Delaware US Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act requires federal, state and local partners to work together and preserve the basin. Congress passed the Act as part of a larger national legislative package known as the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act. 

 

 

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