A major decision about the future of hydrofracking in the Northeast has been postponed.
The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) oversees an area that provides water to 15 million Americans, including New York City.
Today the commission announced that it's delaying a vote previously scheduled for Monday in Trenton, N.J., about proposed natural gas drilling regulations that would allow hydrofracking in the Delaware River Basin.
The DRBC says the delay will offer more time to review regulations to its members - including states that have signaled they'll vote against the rules, like New York.
The commission's members include the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and the federal government. It issued this statement earlier today:
(WEST TRENTON, N.J.) -- The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) today announced that the special meeting scheduled for Nov. 21 to consider draft natural gas development regulations has been postponed to allow additional time for review by the five commission members. No additional information is available at this time.
The regulations have been controversial. Last week, New York Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner, Joe Martens told reporters that the DRBC regulations would get in the way of his agency's effort to write its own drilling rules for the state.
"At this point I'd have to say we are gonna vote 'no'. We encouraged them not to adopt the regulations in the first instance," says Martens.
The Associated Press is reporting that the DRBC meeting was canceled after Delaware governor, Jack Markell told the commission his state would also vote "no."
The regulations need three out of the five votes to pass. A spokeswoman for the DRBC says she has heard that Delaware and New York intend to vote against the regulations, but says she is not aware of how Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or the federal government, would vote.
Environmentalists had planned large protests for the DRBC's Monday meeting, but are now praising the commission's move to postpone it.
The New York Water Rangers, a network of 10 environmental groups issued a statement this afternoon:
The DRBC's postponement of the vote on fracking regulations marks a critical step forward in the battle to protect our waters and communities from fracking. When added to recent announcements from Delaware and New York that both states plan to vote against the proposed regulations, the DRBC's action is further evidence that state leaders are listening to the voices of people concerned about the dangers of fracking, particularly those living in communities where industrial gas drilling is likely to occur.
Last May, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a lawsuit against the federal government for what he what he sees as its failure to undertake a full environmental review of fracking in the Delaware River basin.
The DRBC has not yet chosen a new date for the meeting.
