Hundreds of cheering participants celebrated because the Delaware River Basin Commission postponed a vote on whether to allow the so-called "fracking" process
Erika Staaf, Clean Water Advocate for PennEnvironment, and other representatives of environmental groups speak before delivering boxes of comments on proposed 'fracking' rules to the Delaware River Basin Commission offices in Ewing in this April file photo. TRENTON — Environmentalists poured into Trenton today to oppose new regulations that would open up the Delaware River watershed to hydraulic fracturing, a controversial method of extracting natural gas that could increase pollution as a side effect.
Hundreds of cheering rally participants were in a celebratory mood because the Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees the watershed, postponed a vote that was scheduled for today on whether to allow the so-called "fracking" process in the region.
Environmentalists said the delay could boost their momentum toward blocking the regulations, which they fear do not go far enough to protect the states.
"We got a reprieve, and now we have more time to build more evidence and gain more allies," said Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper, to a crowd chanting "No fracking way!" and "Don't drill the Delaware!"
The river commission's five votes come from the governors of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Gov. Jack Markell of Delaware announced last week that he would oppose the measure along with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett is expected to support it, but Gov. Chris Christie and the Army Corps have yet to weigh in.
"To them, gas drilling was just another political football," said van Rossum. "This isn't a political issue — it's a public health issue and a public safety issue."
Josh Fox, a documentary filmmaker who directed "Gasland," said the vote today would have been illegal since a federal law requires authorities to complete a study of the area before allowing fracking.
"I'm here because I couldn't go home after I heard about this proposal," he said. "We have a long way to go, even just in the Delaware."
Nancy Taiani, 67, a retiree from Montclair and a member of several local environmental groups, said she came to Trenton because "someone has to come out and protest."
"We're very worried about the planet," she said. "Fracking causes earthquakes. It pollutes the water."
Demonstrators then marched from the Trenton War Memorial to the Statehouse steps, where Democratic lawmakers also rallied the crowd.
Star-Ledger staff writer Christopher Baxter contributed to this report.
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