December 7, 2022

PennFuture Statement on Delaware River Basin Commission’s Additional Fracking Regulations

“PennFuture fully supports the Delaware River Basin Commission’s regulations that ban the discharge of fracking wastewater within the basin. As we did when the Commission banned fracking in 2021, we applaud the Commission for recognizing the ‘significant, immediate, and long-term risks’ that the discharge of highly toxic fracking wastewater would have throughout the Delaware River Basin, whether on land or into water, and for acting within its authority to prevent harm,” said Abigail M. Jones, Vice President of Legal and Policy at PennFuture. 

“However, the fracked gas industry has shown, time and again, that it cannot abide by the rules and regulations that are in place to protect the public and our shared environment. We therefore call upon the Commission to diligently apply these regulations–and future fracking wastewater regulations that the Commission has stated its intent to draft–in accordance with its stated policy to ‘discourage, limit, or prevent’ fracking-related activities, including interbasin water transfers and wastewater importation, that pose risks to the Basin’s water resources. For example, PennFuture remains opposed to the use of fracking wastewater for activities such as roadway deicing and dust suppression. PennFuture will continue to work tirelessly to protect the Delaware River watershed from the fracked gas and any other industries that threaten our communities and public natural resources with pollution and degradation.”

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PennFuture is Pennsylvania’s leading environmental advocacy organization with offices in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Erie and East Stroudsburg. We are protecting our air, water and land, and empowering citizens to build sustainable communities for future generations.

Contact:
Ben Block
Interim Director, Communications
bblock@cleangrowthstrategies.com
443.604.8418