People Stand United Against Fracking and
the Proposed PennEast Pipeline
Delaware River Basin Commission Public Meeting June 13
Download the full Press Release as a pdf
See below for some of the comments submitted to the DRBC

West Trenton, NJ – The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) conducted their June 13 business meeting with a public comment session at the West Trenton Fire House where people spoke in a united stand against fracking in the Watershed and the PennEast pipeline, both activities under current review by the DRBC.

While DRBC is not expected to vote on these immediately, people came from throughout the region to take the last opportunity to speak to the Commissioners before the fall and make their demands clear. Representatives from organizations and communities expressed that they want a COMPLETE fracking ban throughout the Delaware River Watershed – no fracking, no frack wastewater discharges and no export of Delaware River Basin water for fracking and they want the DRBC to exercise their full authority over the proposed PennEast pipeline with a comprehensive review under strict watershed regulations.

“There is a clear need for a total ban on fracking and its impacts in the Delaware River watershed, including fracking, fracking wastewater and transfer of water for fracking. EPA documents that fracking wastewater pollutes waterways and the DRBC has not shown that fracking wastewater won’t degrade the Delaware River watershed,” said Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey. “This is part of a larger movement to ensure that fracking infrastructure – from the PennEast pipeline to fracking wastewater – doesn’t destroy the Delaware River watershed and that DRBC asserts its authority to stand up for the watershed.”

“The Delaware River Basin can still be contaminated if waste import is allowed. True we absolutely need to step away from fossil fuel use, gas and oil, but does contaminating the Delaware River Basin make sense before we get there? Our efforts have to go toward vastly reducing usage without further damage to the environment or health,” said Barbara Arrindell, Director, Damascus Citizens for Sustainability.

DCS Comments to the DRBC

• DRBC must support PA people’s constitutional “right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment”
• Case study of water pollution from fracking – Dunkard Creek
• Casing errors can cause gas migration between layers, contaminating water and causing explosions
• Why frack wastewater should not be allowed in the Basin 1
• Why frack wastewater should not be allowed in the Basin 2
• Supporting a ban, no import of frack waste and no export of water for fracking
• Back up material for supporting a ban, etc.
• Summary of gas industry exemptions
• Evidence that vertical gas wells are dangerous 1
• Evidence that vertical gas wells are dangerous 2
• Evidence that vertical gas wells are dangerous 3

Other Comments to the DRBC

• League of Women Voters urges DRBC to “implement the proposed ban on drilling in full and to also ban all activities related to hydraulic fracturing in the Basin”
• Milford, PA calls for a ban on fracking
• Evidence on negative impacts of fracking on health
• Evidence that fracking pollutes water
• Evidence of negative impacts of fracking on jobs
• Personal stories of negative health impacts of fracking
• Gas worker exposes illegal frack waste dumping