City Council unanimously passed Resolution 100864 yesterday which, in essence, says that hydraulic fracturing (the process by which natural gas is harvested from underground in places like the Marcellus Shale) must be done responsibly and should be delayed until groups like the EPA have had adequate time to study how it will impact our watershed. The resolution also calls for drilling to be taxed.
Iris Marie Bloom, a longtime advocate of regulating drilling in the Marcellus Shale, supports the resolution, but asks the council take up the fight with the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) and have the March 16 deadline for public comment on the subject extended to September. Bloom would also like to see a public meeting held in Philadelphia.
We know there’s a lot on the proverbial plate of the average Philadelphian, but if left unregulated, natural gas drilling could significantly and adversely impact your quality of life. Read the full report, get informed, and have your say at the following DRBC’s meetings:
2/22/11 Honesdale High School Auditorium, 459 Terrace Street, Honesdale, PA
2/22/11 Liberty High School Auditorium, 125 Buckley Street, Liberty, NY
2/24/11 Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, 1 Memorial Drive, Trenton, NJ
