On Thursday several organizations delivered petitions to Gov. Tom Wolf signed by 63,674 people calling for a permanent ban on fracking in the Delaware River Watershed.

The Delaware River Basin Commission is the agency that will ultimately vote on the public’s demand for a permanent ban on gas drilling and fracking throughout the Watershed. 

Pennsylvania’s Gov. Wolf is a key vote; Pennsylvania has the largest land mass and the greatest expanse of Marcellus Shale in the Delaware River Watershed.

The number of people demanding a complete and permanent ban on all gas drilling and fracking in the Delaware River Watershed has increased over the past months as the public learned that DRBC staff may be moving to adopt regulations and lift the current moratorium due to industry pressure.

The rollback of federal environmental protections in Washington has fueled concern that the Army Corps of Engineers, as the federal representative on the Commission, may aggressively push the other voting members to allow drilling to commence, and has brought hundreds of protesters to DRBC meetings this year.

Tens of thousands of petitions have been signed by those who want to speak to the Commissioners directly, leading to the submission of the petitions this week, planned by organizations leading the charge calling for a ban in the Watershed.

Groups that collected names on petitions include: Berks Gas Truth, Bucks County Environmental Action, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Natural Resources Defense Council, PennEnvironment, Sierra Club - Pennsylvania Chapter, and 350 Bucks County.

“Moratoria provide great protection from fracking until they don’t. The only way to truly safeguard the drinking water of 17 million people is to put in place a permanent ban. It’s time for the DRBC to ban fracking in the Delaware River Basin,” said Karen Feridun, Founder of Berks Gas Truth.

“With these 63,000+ petitions we are delivering more proof to the DRBC voting members that people are clamoring for a permanent ban on gas drilling and fracking in the Delaware River Watershed and they won’t be stopped until the four Governors and the Army Corps vote for a ban to provide the essential protection our drinking water requires,” said Tracy Carluccio, Deputy Director, Delaware Riverkeeper Network.

“We, all 466 members of Bucks Environmental Action, call for a complete, total and irrevocable ban on fracking in the Delaware River Basin area with these petitions. We do so because this type of resource extraction is dangerous to the land, the water, the people and indeed, all of life itself. And for what? For corporate profit, for venality and greed. We object. Ban Fracking now and Forever,” said Sharon Furlong, founding member and coordinator, Bucks Environmental Action.

“350 Bucks County supports a permanent ban on fracking in the Delaware River Basin.  Fracking in the Delaware River Basin would contribute to the acceleration of climate change and jeopardize the clean and safe drinking water of millions of people in four states,” said Steve Bacher, Board member, 350 Bucks County.

"The Delaware River Basin Commission has one job, and that's to protect this irreplaceable natural resource – a resource that provides drinking water to five percent of the country. To do the job, the commission must ban fracking permanently. Any other decision threatens this ecosystem and the water supply for millions, with only short-term profits for fossil fuel companies in return," said Brandy Doyle, Campaign Manager, CREDO.

NewsClips:

Groups Deliver Delaware River Basin Fracking Ban Petitions To Governors, Army Corps

Children’s Hospital Of Philadelphia Honored As Stormwater Pioneer

Delaware RiverWatch July 28 RiverWatch Video Report

[Posted: July 28, 2017]

7/31/2017