Doug Jackson 202.495.3045 or doug.jackson@sierraclub.org
WEST TRENTON, N.J. -- Today, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) voted 4-0, with the federal government abstaining, to outlaw all fracking operations in the Delaware River Basin. This historic action makes permanent a temporary ban on fracking in the watershed first approved in 2010. The Commission also adopted a resolution discouraging water withdrawals for industry purposes and the disposal and transportation of fracking waste while they prepare a new rulemaking on that subject for the Fall of 2021.
In response, Patrick Grenter, Associate Director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign, released the following statement:
"Fracking threatens the health of our people, water, climate, and communities and we’re relieved to see it outlawed in the Delaware River Basin. We want to applaud governors Wolf, Murphy, Carney, and Cuomo for putting people above polluters. At a time when renewable energy sources are affordable and abundant, it makes no sense to lock ourselves into decades of dependence on dirty, dangerous fracked gas. Today’s decision is a historic watershed moment and one that will significantly contribute to a clean energy future.”
Statement by Tom Torres, Director of the Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter:
“Today's historic action from the DRBC is welcome news for the millions of people who depend on the Delaware River for clean, safe drinking water, though there is still work to do to preclude all impacts from the fracking industry in the Basin. We are especially pleased with Governor Wolf's vote to keep fracking out of the Basin and we will continue to fight to ensure the rest of Pennsylvania enjoys similar protections.”
Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, said:
“This is a big victory today in our fight to ban fracking on the Delaware River. This historic vote means that fracking can no longer take place in the Basin. This ban will protect billions of gallons of drinking water and thousands of acres of forest from fracking wells. It also means that there won’t be pipelines built to take that gas to the market, protecting even more land and water. We thank Governor Murphy and the DRBC in this first step toward a full ban. Now we need to take the next steps to get to a complete ban that includes the treatment and dumping of fracking wastewater in the River or taking water for fracking elsewhere. This will help protect public health and the Basin from more contamination.”
Statement by Sherri Evans-Stanton, Director, Sierra Club Delaware Chapter:
“We are thrilled to see the DRBC vote to fully ban fracking in the Delaware River Basin and thank Delaware Governor Carney for his support. This is a watershed moment to protect our drinking water supplies, health, safety and communities in the Basin. The Delaware River and the Delaware Bay are critical ecosystems and we are excited they will be safeguarded from the polluting fracking industry.”
Roger Downs, Conservation Director for the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, said:
"The underlying principle of New York's fracking ban is that the practice is too dangerous to be done safely anywhere. We applaud today’s vote to outlaw fracking in the Delaware River Basin. As a headwater state that is in part responsible for protecting this drinking water source for 17 million people, fracking has always represented a disproportionate risk that defies common sense and the science that supports effective public health policy.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.