Delaware River Basin Commission permanently bans fracking
Monday, March 1, 2021
The Delaware River Basin Commission permanently banned hydraulic fracturing in the Delaware River Basin on Feb. 25, citing the importance of protecting public health and a water supply that more than 13 million people in four states rely on, according to Farm and Dairy.
The commission’s move will ban high-volume hydraulic fracturing in the 13,539 square-mile Delaware River Basin, stretching across Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Delaware.
The ban will impact the Marcellus Shale natural gas fields in northeastern Pennsylvania as seven of the 17 Pennsylvania counties in the Delaware River watershed are also located within the Marcellus Shale formation.
Environmental groups are calling the decision historic and necessary. Meanwhile, industry groups are calling it a “blatant overreach” and a violation of private property rights.
Learn more: Farm and Dairy > Fracking permanently banned in Pennsylvania’s Delaware River basin
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.