For Immediate Release
February 18, 2021

Important DRBC Meeting on Fracking Ban – Needs to Have Full Ban

The Delaware River Basin Commission is holding a special public business meeting on Thursday, February 25, 2021. During the meeting, the Commissioners will consider final action on DRBC’s Proposed Amendments to the Administrative Manual and Special Regulations Regarding Hydraulic Fracturing Activities; Additional Clarifying Amendments (“Draft Rule”), published for public comment on November 30, 2017. The public comment period closed on March 30, 2018.

“The DRBC is finally going to vote on banning fracking in the Delaware River Basin. It is long overdue. We’ve been calling on this since the close of the comment period in 2018. It is important that they are finally going to do this. Now we need to make sure that they do the right thing. We need to make sure that they vote for a full ban including banning fracking waste and taking water out of the Basin. Having a partial ban that actually allows the dumping of fracking waste still puts the drinking water and environment of the Basin at risk,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We call on the Governors to keep their word and do a complete fracking ban in the Basin, including banning all wastewater and taking water from the Delaware River.”

In 2010 the DRBC prohibited permitting for natural gas extraction projects in the Delaware River Basin while they study its potential impacts on water resources, a de-facto moratorium that does not allow permits to be issued until natural gas regulations are adopted. Since 2010, the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence and on-the-ground experience where fracking has wreaked havoc prove that fracking simply isn’t safe.

“We have been fighting to ban fracking and the dumping of fracking waste in the Basin for fifteen years. Governor Murphy came out four years ago for a full ban, and he has reiterated that. In 2018, Governors Carney, Wolf, and Murphy signed a letter calling for a full fracking ban. The DRBC needs to not only implement this ban but also be sure not to turn the Basin into a dumping ground for fracking wastewater. The reason we want a fracking ban is to protect the waters from toxic chemicals from fracking,” said Tittel. “This is a critical meeting coming up. We need to watch them to make sure that the Governors keep their word and do the right thing.”

Fracking involves injecting huge amounts of water and chemicals in rock formations that can pollute surrounding aquifers and waterways. This requires mixing millions of gallons of water with toxic chemicals including volatile organic chemicals like benzene, methyl benzene, formaldehyde, and others that are linked to cancer. The process also releases toxic chemicals like arsenic and mercury that are naturally trapped in the shale. The average well uses 2.5 to 4.5 million gallons of water for fracking, many wells are fracked two to three times. Drilling will also require trillions of gallons of water.

“Study after study has shown a clear connection between fracking and water contamination. Fracking involves injecting huge amounts of water and chemicals in rock formations that can pollute surrounding aquifers and waterways. This requires mixing millions of gallons of water with toxic chemicals including volatile organic chemicals like benzene, methylbenzene, formaldehyde, and others that are linked to cancer. The process also includes destroying the forest to drill wells and create roads for construction vehicles. This could lead to pollution and contaminated drinking water,” said Jeff Tittel. “Banning fracking but then allowing the dumping of fracking waste undoes the whole purpose of the ban in the first place, which is to protect our water.

The meeting will be at 10:30am on Thursday, February 25, 2021. The public can attend via Zoom by following the instructions here (https://www.nj.gov/drbc/meetings/meeting_feb252021.html). The special business meeting will not include an opportunity for members of the public to address the Commission. The extensive public process on this matter ended on March 30, 2018.

“We need a permanent ban on fracking and fracking waste to protect the Delaware River Basin. The Delaware River is an environmental treasure on the East Coast that supplies the clean drinking water for more than 15 million people. The River includes acres of forests, open space, and waterways that provides habitat for hundreds of wildlife species. The public needs to show up and make sure that we hold the DRBC and our Governors accountable. We need to make sure that they do the right thing by enacting a full fracking ban,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “President Biden came out for banning fracking on public lands and stopped the Keystone Pipeline. Now the Governors should join with the President to stop fracking in the Delaware River Basin.”