Trenton War Memorial

A number of organizations are calling for a large demonstration this morning in Trenton, NJ in opposition to hydraulic fracturing or fracking regulations proposed by the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC).

The activists plan to march on the State House following a rally at 11 a.m. outside Trenton’s War Memorial. That is where the
Delaware River Basin Commission had been set to vote on regulations today before the commission abruptly postponed the meeting on Friday after
Delaware’s
governor said he would oppose the draft rules.

New York previously
announced its opposition to the regulations which need three votes to pass. New Jersey and Pennsylvania
were likely yes votes. It was uncertain how the fifth member of the
commission, the Army Corps of Engineers, was planning to vote.

Either way, there was a likelihood of a 3-2 vote, a glaring lack of
consensus on a prominent issue that was potentially going to split on
party lines, said Maya van Rossum, head of the nonprofit Delaware
Riverkeeper Network.

“The intelligence that we’re gathering is
that when Delaware announced that it was not going to support the
regulations, essentially the feds and New Jersey got cold feet,” van
Rossum said.

Larry Ragonese, a spokesman for the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection, said that the agency viewed the
proposed regulations as strongly protective of the environment, but that
there was no rush if changes were needed.

“If other states still
have questions that they feel need to be addressed, we would obviously
want them to have an opportunity to make sure they can resolve those
issues,” Ragonese said. “The goal is to get it done correctly.”

Gov.
Corbett, on the other hand, voiced impatience. “Pennsylvania is ready
to move forward now,” he said in a news release, charging that the delay
was “driven more by politics than sound science.”

In a statement,
the president of the industry’s Marcellus Shale Coalition, Kathryn
Klaber, also urged action, arguing that drilling has lead to more jobs
and access to cleaner-burning fuel.

“The vocal minority calling for less energy development are simply ignoring the American people’s basic needs,” Klaber said.

Environmental activists say pollution from fracking would threaten
drinking water supplies for 15 million users.

Last week, they claim to have delivered more than 71,000 letters
to the Commission members. Opponents say today’s rally is
an opportunity to keep up pressure against fracking.

Expected speakers at today’s rally include Josh Fox (Gasland
writer and producer), Mark Ruffalo (actor, director and founder of
WaterDefense.org), Deborah Winger (actress), Maya van Rossum (Delaware
Riverkeeper), Jim Walsh (Food and Water Watch), and Jeff Tittel
(Sierra Club NJ.) 

Related:
DRBC delays controversial vote on fracking rules
Decision delayed on drilling in Delaware River basin
Maryland Weighs Fracking’s Potential Impact
State Rep. Gary Day explains why he voted for Marcellus
Impact fee
Congressman rails against more fracking regulations

Bob Hanna to replace Lee Solomon at the NJBPU

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