Amazingly good news for anti-frackers in the Delaware River Basin- the DRBC has postponed its vote on regulations which would have allowed fracking to commence in the River Basin.
Delaware Riverkeeper Maya von Rossum tells StateImpact PA that her sources say the Delaware River Basin Commission has decided to cancel Monday’s scheduled meeting and planned vote. The DRBC could not be reached to confirm the move, which would put off a decision on the Commission’s proposed natural gas drilling rules. But von Rossum says that during a conversation with New Jersey officials responsible for permitting the Delaware Riverkeeper’s planned demonstration, the official let slip that the meeting may not take place... http://stateimpact.npr.org/...
To summarize- the commission had scheduled a Monday meeting in Trenton where the formal vote to approve the regulations was to take place. New regs require a simple majority of the 5 seated members to vote yes- so 3 "yes" votes are needed. Delaware has already said they will vote "NO".
Rumors of a third cancellation began circulating on the internet Thursday evening. At about the same time, Delaware Governor Jack Markell sent a letter to the Commission outlining his opposition to the rules. In the letter, Markell says the DRBC has not conducted enough scientific analysis on the impact of gas drilling.
Besides, the states of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, the fifth seat on the commission is held by the federal government, now seated by an Army Corps of Engineers officer. Because PA's vote is a given "YES" on the regs, and disappointingly, the Feds have also been pro-drilling, the only logical conclusion is that NY is also opposing, and has been joined by New Jersey.
New York’s Attorney General has filed a law suit trying to force the Commission to conduct an environmental impact study. So the Empire State’s representative on the Commission is expected to join Delaware and vote against the rules
Also from Pocononews Net:
Apparently, the Commission did not feel they had the three votes needed to move the proposal forward, cancelling the use of the War Memorial Theater for Monday.
http://www.pocononews.net/...
Press release from Delaware Riverkeeper:
Wilmington, DE – The Delaware River Basin Commission has cancelled the special meeting set for Monday November 21 they had scheduled to vote on opening the Delaware River Watershed for gas drilling and fracking. The dominoes began to fall when Governor Jack Markell announced that Delaware would vote against the plan to allow gas development to commence in the Delaware River Watershed. New York had earlier stated that they were voting “NO” on the proposal. Apparently, the Commission did not feel they had the three votes needed to move the proposal forward, cancelling the use of the War Memorial Theater for Monday.
Members of the public who opposed the adoption of the proposed natural gas development regulations praised Governor Markell for putting science above politics and listening to tens of thousands of people who have said “Don’t Drill the Delaware”. They also cheered the cancellation of the meeting and heralded the news as the first step towards killing the plan to allow drilling and fracking for natural gas in the sensitive Delaware River Watershed, water supply for 15 million people and a National Wild and Scenic River.
The Delaware River Basin Commission is composed of the Governors of the four states that drain to the Delaware River, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware and a federal representative, the Army Corps of Engineers for the Obama Administration. The issue has been a raging controversy over the past 3 ½ years; a drilling moratorium is currently in place in the Basin while the DRBC develops natural gas regulations. If Monday’s vote has approved the regulations, gas drilling and fracking would have commenced in the Upper and Middle Delaware River Watershed which is underlain by Marcellus and Utica Shales.
"The issue of shale gas drilling has finally moved out of the political arena and is now being treated as an issue of genuine public policy concern,” said Delaware Riverkeeper Maya K. van Rossum. “This is a big win for the River and the region” concluded van Rossum, “Now we just need to put the nail in the coffin and make sure gas drilling in the Delaware River watershed stays down and out of our basin.”
“CLEARLY THE CITIZENS VOICE HAS BEEN HEARD! We have won this round. We will continue to fight until we stop fracking in the Delaware permanently! Thousands of citizens weighed in with the Governors of Delaware, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania and the Obama administration and we have turned the tide against fracking in the Delaware River basin. This is a huge victory for the movement against fracking worldwide. We do not know yet if this is a cancellation of a month or a year or indefinitely, but we will oppose fracking the Delaware River until it has been banned from the basin. We are awaiting the DRBCs next announcement and we will move forward once they announce their next decision, said Josh Fox, writer and director, “Gasland”.
"This is a huge win for human health, and for all of us who've been working incredibly hard, nonstop, to protect animal and human health from fracking poisons. Tens of thousands of people have raised their voices in a great shout, that we must not devastate our land, poison our water and hurt our people for short-term profits. We are proud to be among this great ocean of voices, thrilled that our elected officials are listening, and urge them to make this fracking moratorium last for at least a generation," commented Iris Marie Bloom, Director, Protecting Our Waters.
“This is great news! This is a real victory for clean water. The vote being delayed is a vote against fracking. We believe every delay keeps the moratorium in place until we can get a permanent ban,” said Jeff Tittel, Director, New Jersey Sierra Club. “Governor Christie should follow the governor of Delaware lead and vote no on the DRBC rules. Christie needs to protect the drinking water for 3 million New Jersey residents and keep the moratorium in place.
“If it wasn't for all of us and our colleagues - regionally and in the drilling fields, there would by now be drilling and fracking and air pollution and water contamination and landscape desecration and industrialization in the DRB. The wonderful, overwhelming and powerful display of solidarity to protect our homes, property and environment from the thieves in power - the corporations and those they buy and own. We must continue to apply all the pressure we can from every perspective on every public official and force them to switch their priorities. 28 - 1/2 days of fuel is not worth ruining the basin for 20 million people for generations. We hereby put President Obama on notice that he will be held accountable, because he has breached his promise to those who elected him to protect our most valuable environmental resources”, said Joe Levine, NYH2O.
"This is the second time that the DRBC has waffled on moving forward to drill the river basin it is charged with protecting. Clearly, some of the members there are waking up to the huge public outcry and increasing awareness that hydraulic fracturing is not a tenable solution for energy production in this region and for the country as a whole," said David Braun, president and cofounder United for action.
"The overwhelming public response against gas drilling in the Delaware River watershed has finally been heard. Gov. Christie needs to vote to protect our drinking water, regardless of when the vote is held. These gas drilling regulations are a disaster for the Delaware, and New Jersey residents don't want to let gas drillers into the Delaware watershed," said Doug O’Malley, Environment New Jersey.
“Damascus Citizens for Sustainability has been educating the public, petitioning and testifying at the DRBC since early 2008 about this intrinsically contaminating shale gas drilling. That the decision was not made today to move ahead with a disastrous plan is good. We will see what the next steps are and keep pushing to maintain the moratorium and seek a Cumulative Impact analysis – it is the only prudent step possible”, said Barbara Arrindell, Director, Damascus Citizens for Sustainability.
“The people of the Delaware River Watershed spoke and the voting members of the DRBC heard them. Delaware’s Governor Markell has joined New York in voting for clean water, the protection of the environment and public health. We will not give up until we are assured that our Watershed will not be drilled,” said Tracy Carluccio, Deputy Director, Delaware Riverkeeper Network.
“Today’s postponement and Delaware’s announcement shows we are making an impact on the DRBC and that our voices are being heard. Riverkeeper will continue to work to ensure that these regulations are withdrawn and that the commission conducts a full review of all environmental, public health and safety risks posed by gas development in the basin,” said Kate Hudson, Watershed Director, Hudson Riverkeeper.
This is what we are fighting for: