Groundbreaking Decision to Ban Fracking in the Delaware River Basin Is a Victory for Public Health and the Environment
NEW YORK – The Delaware River Basin Commission today voted to outlaw fracking in the region. Four of the five Commissioners voted for the ban, including the governors of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. The Delaware watershed stretches from the Catskills in New York State through parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, providing drinking water to 17 million people. It is one of the most important fisheries in the country, a critical habitat for countless species of flora and fauna, including native trout, American eels, and bald eagles.
A statement follows from Kimberly Ong, Senior Attorney at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
“The fracking ban in the Delaware River Basin is a momentous victory for public health, the environment, and against climate change. This bold action helps protect the drinking water supply for 17 million people and it’s an important step in the country’s transition away from dirty fossil fuels, and toward cleaner, more sustainable ways to power our future.”
“The Commission took a strong stance against fracking that will safeguard the waters and residents of the Delaware River Basin. To protect the Basin, harmful fracking-related activities, such as the transportation and disposal of fracking waste; the withdrawal and export of water from the watershed for fracking purposes, must also be prohibited.”
For more on this historic move, see this blog.
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NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.