We are on the road to victory! Delaware River Basin Commission Cancels Fracking Vote!
November 18, 2011
Riverkeeper Team
Thanks to all of your great efforts, the state of Delaware announced yesterday that it will vote “no” to DRBC’s proposed gas drilling regulations, which would allow fracking to go forward in the Delaware River Basin. As a result of Delaware’s commitment, DRBC has postponed the vote and set no new vote date!
The previously announced November 21 meeting date is cancelled!
For over three years, environmental groups have been fighting to protect the Delaware River Watershed from pollution from toxic gas drilling; 69,800 people filed comments with the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) during the comment period on their draft natural gas development regulations, breaking all past records of public interest. In August, Riverkeeper filed a lawsuit along with other environmental groups seeking to stop the DRBC from moving ahead with these inadequate regulations without completing environmental studies required by federal law.
The voting members of the DRBC are the Governors of New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and the federal government, represented by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. DRBC’s cancellation notice follows on the heels of an announcement by Delaware Gov. Jack Markell that Delaware will vote against the DRBC regulations. New York DEC Commissioner Martens indicated on November 10 that Governor Cuomo would vote no to the regulations. With New Jersey and Pennsylvania likely yes votes, that leaves the Army Corps as the deciding vote. The DRBC gas drilling regulations would pose a major threat to the New York City Watershed, as the Basin area currently provides 50 percent of the clean, unfiltered drinking water that nine million New Yorkers depend on daily.
Remember: New York is still taking public comment on its draft environmental impact statement and proposed regulations for fracking. Let’s keep the victories rolling! Comment by Dec. 12.