Delaware River Basin Commission Bans Fracking

The Delaware River Basin Commission voted 4-0 (with the US Army Corp abstaining) to approve a final rule prohibiting high-volume hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, for natural gas or oil in the 20 county basin. This is a finalization of the unofficial moratorium the commission has had in place since early 2010. The decision impacts counties in northeast Pennsylvania that contain part of the Marcellus Shale formation, as well as the rest of the eastern counties that form the watershed for the Delaware River, the commonwealth’s eastern border. The representatives of the governors of Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York voted in favor of the rule. 

In addition, the commission approved the moving forward to development of amendments to prohibit or limit the importing of wastewater from outside the basin and the exporting of waters from the basin to assist in natural gas development. Click here for more.