Green City Journal

For Immediate Release                                                                                     Contact: Austin Kelly, Protecting Our Waters
October 15, 2010                                                                                                            646-244-5634

Philadelphia City Councilman Curtis Jones sent a letter to the Delaware River Basin Commission yesterday, formally requesting the DRBC to wait until a cumulative impact study has been completed before issuing rules governing any projects related to gas drilling in the Basin.  "Clearly more time is needed for scientific study and evaluation of the new technology," he said, referring to hydrofracking in combination with horizontal drilling.  "The horse of science" should pull the cart of policy, he commented, adding that to issue rules without a cumulative impact study is analagous to driving a car which has not passed auto-safety inspection.

"We are delighted both with this letter and with Council's September 30th resolution calling for a three-year moratorium statewide," said Austin Kelly of Protecting Our Waters, a Philadelphia-based organization critical of gas drilling's impacts on water, air, climate, the economy, and human health.  "People have gotten sick from exposure to water and air contaminated by gas drilling, and we believe every effort to slow down this shameful rush will protect life and health."

On September 29th, New York City Council also passed a resolution calling for the DRBC to refrain from issuing regulations prior to a cumulative impact study, leading activists to send messages to the Commission asking, "Are you listening to the ten million people asking you to study first?"  (link and title of NYC Resolution below).

In the first week of October, PA DEP fined Seneca Resources for destroying a wetlands in Tioga County.  Yet DEP had issued the permit, like so many others on the gas drilling fast-track, without adequate review.  At the Philadelphia City Council hearing September 28th, listeners were surprised when PA DEP officials explained that PA DEP has a 45-day fast-track limit on the time available to review any gas drilling permit; if technical review is not performed, the permit is automatically approved.  "Expecting the industry to be self-policing is absurd," commented Amy Wilson of Protecting Our Waters.  "The industry will absorb fines as the price of doing business, but a wetlands cannot be restored in the course of a human lifetime. These are not acceptable risks."

On October 9th, a frack fluid spill in Cumberland County was reported to reach up to 30 miles (Sun-Gazette, October 10th).  The company responsible claimed not to know exactly what substances were in its frack fluid barrels, reinforcing concerns raised at Philadelphia City Council's September 28th hearing regarding potential impacts from toxic chemicals reaching waterways and human populations through multiple channels, including spills and accidents.

And an Academy of Natural Sciences study by senior scientist David Velinsky suggests that, even without spills or accidents, unconventional gas drilling degrades water quality (Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/12/10).  Velinsky first presented his preliminary findings in public at the Philadelphia City Council hearing on September 28th, chaired by Councilman Curtis Jones.

"It may be that there is no way to drill for gas in unconventional deposits without severe environmental destruction and human health impacts," commented Austin Kelly.  "Rules and enforcement are wildly inadequate in Pennsylvania so far, which is why we are pressing for a statewide moratorium.  In this watershed, at the very least, we need a cumulative impact study before any rules are issued for drilling ."

Link to New York City Resolution:

http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=775047&GUID=1DC2A4EC-0046-4A3F-9F3E-E6D8D72F2845&Options=&Search