The last day of New Jersey’s first bear hunt in five years is pointing toward a showdown of sorts between hunters and protesters, reports NBC New York’s Brian Thompson.

“The four-day total through Thursday of bagged bears was 477, with just 36 bears killed by hunters on the fourth day. But NJ DEP spokesman Larry Ragonese is predicting that hunters will be out in force on Saturday, the last day, since it is the only weekend day of the hunt. And bear advocates also plan to be out en masse. On Thursday, they won a deal brokered by Supreme Court Justice Barry Albin that will allow as many as 100 protesters at one of the five check-in stations Saturday.”

See Brian’s full story (and a video) here.

Regulations governing the siting, construction or use of production and exploratory natural gas wells in the Delaware River Basin were formally proposed today by the Delaware River Basin Commission. (Full copy: DRBC’s proposed Natural Gas Development Regulations)

Water use, well-pad siting, water monitoring and wastewater disposal

The rules address water withdrawals and establish well pad siting requirements. They also require pre- and post-project monitoring of surface and groundwater near well pads where high-volume, hydraulic fracturing (fracking) techniques are used.

They also require the monitoring, tracking, and reporting of water use and wastewater treatment and disposal. All wastewater would be required to be transported to approved treatment and disposal facilities.

Expedited approvals

In response to gas-industry complaints that DRBC application approvals can take up to nine months, the proposal provides for a streamlined (less than 30 day) “approval by rule” process for some natural gas development projects.

Fee to cover potential environmental damage

The Commission plans to require natural gas companies to pay a “financial assurance” fee of $125,000 per gas well “for the plugging, abandonment and restoration of natural gas wells and the remediation of any pollution from natural gas development activities.”

Three public hearings

Three public hearings will be scheduled during the 90-day comment period to receive oral testimony on the proposed rulemaking. Details will be released as soon as the dates and locations have been confirmed, according to a DRBC news release.

New York governor urges delay

The proposal comes just days after New York’s Gov. David Paterson called on the Commission to hold off  on adopting any regulations until his state completes its current study of the potential environmental impacts of natural gas well drilling.
See: DRBC hears from NY & NJ on impending fracking rules. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also has launched a study that is expected to produce national standards for natural gas exploration, including the use of fracking. 

New Jersey weighs anti-fracking legislation

The New Jersey Assembly’s Environment and Solid Waste Committee today will take testimony on two bills seeking to block the use of fracking.

AJR 61 (Wagner/Gusciora) urges Delaware, New York, and Pennsylvania join New Jersey in
disapproving requests for withdrawing water for hydraulic fracturing and enact
bans on use of such drilling practices. 

AR 112 (Wagner/Gusciora) Urges the passage of U.S. House Bill  H.R. No. 2766 which would repeal
the exemption for hydraulic fracturing under the federal 27 “Safe Drinking Water Act.”

Related:
Water agency publishes gas drilling regulations
Delaware River Basin Commission to release fracking rules

The Delaware River Basin Commission is preparing to propose (but not today)  rules governing the use of hydrofracturing (fracking) to extract natural gas from sections of the Marcellus Shale within in the Delaware River watershed in New York and Pennsylvania. There was a belief in some circles that the DRBC would formally propose the rules today, but this is not the case, according to the commission’s Communications Manager, Clarke Rupert who advises:

“The proposed natural gas development regulations have not even been published as of now.  Following publishing of the draft regulations, there will be a written comment period and most likely three public hearings on the proposed rulemaking.  The written comments received during the comment period and oral testimony presented at the hearings will become part of the rulemaking record and be considered by the commissioners prior to any action on the proposed regulations.  Such action will be taken at duly noticed public meeting of the commission at a future date BUT NOT TODAY. “  

Leading to speculation that the commission would act at its meeting today in West Trenton, NJ, were letters sent earlier this week from officials in New York and New Jersey. New York’s Governor David A. Paterson, in a letter sent on Monday, urged the DRBC
to suspend any rulemaking until New York has completed its own review of the drilling technique. “DRBC appears intent on going forward with a regulatory program that would not have the advantage of the full investigations and public deliberations taking place in New York, “ Paterson wrote. “Your proposed program, covering only a very small portion of New York State, could well conflict with the technical and regulatory protocols ultimately adopted in New York, causing confusion, duplication, redundant regulatory fee assessments, differing regulations in different locations and possible mismanagement. “It would make far more sense,” Paterson wrote, “for DRBC to participate in the New York process and assist in making the program as effective as possible, certainly before undertaking unilateral action.”  In a December 7 letter, New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin urged the DRBC “to enact and implement strict (fracking)standards to protect the river – which provides a quarter of New Jersey’s drinking water”
until Pennsylvania and New York adopt their own regulations. "New Jersey continues to oppose any drilling of fracking wells in the Delaware River Basin until appropriate regulations and standards are in place," Martin wrote to DRBC Executive Director Carol Collier. "Strong safeguards to protect public water supplies and ensure that the wastes generated are properly managed and treated must be established before drilling. We reiterate that without those safeguards, drilling in the Marcellus Shale is unacceptable to New Jersey.” While no drilling would occur in New Jersey, Martin expressed concern that expansion of drilling in New York and Pennsylvania could have significant impacts on the Delaware River. As many as 10,000 wells could be drilled in portions of the basin in those states, requiring large withdrawals of water from the Delaware and possibly risking contamination of its tributaries. The DRBC is a multi-state commission that has regulatory jurisdiction over the Delaware River watershed. Its earlier imposed freeze on natural gas drilling permits has kept wells from being drilled in Pennsylvania’s northeast. Most drilling activity has been taking place in the southwest corner of the state.  The environmental coalition, Protecting Our Waters, urged its members to write to the DRBC and to Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell asking that the current permit freeze be extended.

”We are insisting not only on a cumulative impact study first, but on a full democratic process, fully informed by adequate science, which would require declaring the Delaware River watershed off-limits for fracking for three to five years,” the group said yesterday on its website. See our Enviro-Events Calendar for a copy of the DRBC’s agenda for today’s meeting. **********************************************************************************************************
What’s your take on the issue?  Should the DRBC delay adoption of its fracking rules until
New York and Pennsylvania have their own rules in place?  Should all new fracking be stopped until the EPA concludes its review of the drilling technique and imposes a national standard?  Or is the extraction of natural gas too important to be delayed? Can we count
on the natural gas industry to regulate itself and protect the environment? Let us know in the comment box below.  If you don’t see one, click on the tiny ‘comments’ line.
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Enviro-Events Calendar

December 10, 2010
New Jersey Pinelands Commission Meeting 9:30 a.m.
NJ Pinelands Commission, 15 Springfield Road
New Lisbon, NJ 08064

December 10 2010
Solar Education, Credentialing & Workforce Development: A ‘How-to” Seminar
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Beanwood Coffee Latin Bistro
222 Farnsworth Avenue
Bordentown, NJ
More information

December 13 2010  

NY: Conference on Water Resources and the Regional Economy
8:30 a..m to 4 p.m.
SUNY New Paltz
Student Union Building
Speakers: Brian McMahon, Executive Director of the NYS Economic Development Council Congressman Maurice Hinchey
Mayor Phillip Amicone, Yonkers
Elizabeth Schilling, Smart Growth America

December 15, 2010
Electric Vehicle Quarterly Discussion Webinar
Host: Linda Bluestein, DOE Clean Cities
Speaker: Jim Francfort, Idaho National Laboratory
Time: 1:00-3:00 p.m. EDT

The Webinar will focus on differences in electric vehicle charging levels, charging options, characteristics of different technologies, and partnerships with electric utilities. Contact: Please contact Sandra Loi. For more information on Clean Cities and the Vehicle Technologies Program, please visit the Vehicle Technologies Program Web site at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/

December 16, 2010 Webinar: Tools and Techniques to Effectively Manage EHS Regulatory Compliance
1 p.m. The webcast offers both essential education and practical advice for individuals in environmental compliance, EHS, regulatory affairs, compliance, and risk management roles looking to comply with regulations, improve compliance processes, and save money.  Learn how organizations that embrace effective compliance change management can reduce liability, mitigate risks, and enable efficiency and cost savings throughout the organization. A Q&A session will be held during the last 15 minutes of the Webinar. Register at: http://www.digital.1105pubs.com/t.do?id=6470636:16323783
December 18, 2010
Book Signing: The Pine Barrens of New Jersey Noon to 4 p.m.
Pinelands Preservation Alliance
Bishop Farmstead, Southampton, NJ  Directions
Come join local author Karen Riley for a special treat as she unveils her latest book
on the Pine Barrens. She will give a slide show and talk at 1:00pm about her new book, The Pine Barrens of New Jersey, plus signing and book sales

January 17-19, 2011 Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Anaheim (CA) Hilton
The conference will present mini-symposia, including one on the introduction to smart grid, and another on workforce preparedness. The Conference will be a forum for the participants to discuss state-of-the-art innovations in smart grid technologies. The Conference will feature special sessions and tutorials by international experts on smart grid applications. Register

January 27-28
74th Annual Walk to Washington and Congressional Dinner Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, D.C.

Join us as the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce celebrates its 100th birthday, welcomes
a new president, and offers its members unprecedented opportunities for networking and visibility. This year, we honor our past — founding companies that have been Chamber members for ten decades, through thick and thin and the ups and downs of business cycles. We also look to the future with a revamped and more interactive dinner format, plenty of networking to help you through these tough times, and an opportunity to meet the Chamber’s new president. For more information, click here. To register, click here.

January 30 – February 2, 2011

 

Delaware Estuary Summit Estuaries are the most productive ecosystems in the world, and for four days this winter, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary’s (PDE) Science and Environmental Summit will be equally as dynamic.  From January 30 through February 2, educators, government representatives, resource managers, scientists, and students will join together in Cape May, New Jersey for the PDE’s fourth Summit.  This mid-winter retreat is a unique forum for lively discussions and cutting-edge research, and it’s a chance to connect with like-minded people working for the health and future of the Delaware River and Bay.  [Download Now]
February 2-4

March 31 – April 2, 2011
SET2011 | Exhibition & Conference Los Angeles Convention Center

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For free publication, send your event information to: editor@enviropolitics.com
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