Fracking Permanently Banned In Delaware River Basin

Hydraulic fracking has been permanently barred in the Delaware River basin.

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), which is overseen by the governors of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and a representative from the federal government, voted 4-0 Thursday to approve a final rule prohibiting high-volume hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking. U.S. Army Corps Brig. Gen. Thomas Tickner, who represented the federal government, abstained from voting.

The resolution approved by the DRBC commissioners said fracking “poses immediate and long-term risks to water resources, human health and aquatic life in the Delaware River basin.”

Fracking is banned in New York and New Jersey and there is no activity in Delaware. The form of natural gas extraction has created a large industry in Pennsylvania. Fracking mostly takes place in the Marcellus Shale region of the state. Public data shows no fracking sites in Bucks County.

While fracking has become a popular way for companies to extract natural gas from the Earth, it produces a significant amount of waste, has been suspected of causing earthquakes, and can discharge toxins into waterways. There have been more than 12,000 fracking wells created in the Keystone State.

The fracking process involves drilling thousands of feet into the ground and violently forcing water with sand and chemicals into the shale to release trapped gases that are then captured.

State oversight agencies and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office have found violations and filed charges against fracking companies that have violated laws.

In 2010, the DRBC put a temporary ban on fracking into place in the Delaware River basin. Over the years, activists have pressured the commissioners to permanently ban fracking in the river basin that provides drinking water for 13 million people, including the Levittown area.

“After careful analysis and consideration of the unique geographic, geologic and hydrologic characteristics of the Delaware River Basin, DRBC Commissioners acted today under the authority of the Delaware River Basin Compact to protect the water resources of the Basin, the source of drinking water for millions of Pennsylvanians.  Having supported this effort since I was a candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania, I am proud to join with other DRBC Commissioners in preserving the water resources of this unique region for generations to come,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement.

“Fracking poses significant risks to the water resources of the Delaware River Basin, and prohibiting high volume hydraulic fracturing in the Basin is vital to preserving our region’s recreational and natural resources and ecology,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement. “Since the beginning of my Administration, New Jersey has been a leader in environmental protection and justice, climate action and clean energy. More than 13 million people rely on the waters of a clean Delaware River Basin that is free of the chemicals used in fracking. Our actions, including the further rulemaking outlined today to address fracking wastewater, will protect public health and preserve our water resources for future generations.”

Tambini, the DRBC executive director, said the interstate-federal government agency that oversees the vital Delaware River basin held six public hearings to get feedback from residents about fracking. He noted there were tens of thousands of comments, letters, and petitions, along with additional scientific and technical literature, reports, and studies that were received before the vote.

For years, environmental activists have called for a long-lasting ban of fracking in the Delaware River basin.

Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, said before the vote that the ban was “long overdue.”

Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper and head of the Bristol Borough-based Delaware Riverkeeper Network, said Thursday’s decision was a “big part of the victory we have been striving for.”

“I think that today is a testament to the power of the people,” she said.

“I applaud the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) on its historic vote today to protect our environment and public health by banning high-volume hydraulic fracturing. I will work to ensure this resolution is implemented here in Pennsylvania and is upheld in the courts,” State Sen. Steve Santarsiero, a Democrat from Lower Makefield, said.

Just weeks before the vote on the ban, State Sen. Gene Yaw, State Sen. Lisa Baker, the Pennsylvania Senate Republican Caucus, and Damascus Township filed a federal lawsuit seeking to stop the ban by claiming that DBRC does not have authority to regulate fracking.

Also during the special meeting, which was streamed online, the commissioners assigned DRBC Executive Director Steve Tambini to create proposed amendments to update regulations for the importation of wastewater from outside the basin and exportation of basin waters no later than September 30.

van Rossum said the amendments show there is still work to do to protect the river basin.

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