***THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT***
The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) will be voting on November 21st on whether or not to allow hydraulic fracturing (aka “fracing”/”fracking”) in the Delaware River Basin.
The Delaware River Basin “contains 13,539 square miles, draining parts of Pennsylvania (6,422 square miles or 50.3 percent of the basin’s total land area); New Jersey (2,969 square miles, or 23.3%); New York (2,362 square miles, 18.5%); and Delaware (1,004 square miles, 7.9%). Included in the total area number is the 782 square-mile Delaware Bay, which lies roughly half in New Jersey and half in Delaware.” It is the longest un-dammed river in the United States east of the Mississippi, and it provides water for over 15 million people. Read more here: http://www.state.nj.us/drbc/thedrb.htm
In short, there are five voting members of the DRBC, all of which get one vote. These include the Governors of New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey and the Obama Administration as represented by the Army Corps of Engineers. Three out of five votes will either pass or reject the plan to frack the Delaware River. We already know that PA and NJ will vote for hydraulic fracturing, so we have to call the other three members and ask them to vote against it.
These are the numbers:
Call the Army Corps of Engineers to urge them to vote no fracking in the Delaware River Basin. Tell them you will hold President Obama accountable for the vote and make it clear that you know that it is his decision. 703-697-4672. Leave a message for Jo Ellen Darcy, Obama’s rep on the DRBC.
***NOTE: When I called the lady at the other end simply gave me the email address to use when sending comments to Jo Ellen Darcy. ASACWPOC@conus.army.mil
Call Governor Jack Markell of Delaware. Delaware has been sitting on the fence on fracking. We need them clearly and unequivocally voting no. Tell him to vote no fracking on the upcoming DRBC vote. 302-577-3210
Call Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York. Tell him to oppose fracking in the Delaware River Basin watershed, just as he has in the New York city and Syracuse watersheds. 518-474-8390
That was the short version. Below is a letter from GASLAND director Josh Fox, which explains the situation in more detail.
Dear friends-
We’ve come a long way in the fight against fracking. The flaming faucets in GASLAND has been seen by upwards of 40 million people in 20 countries. A recent study shows that 4 out of 5 Americans say that they are concerned about the effect of fracking on drinking water.
But our most crucial stand is less than two weeks away.
On November 21st the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) will vote to approve a plan that will allow for 20,000 or more fracked gas wells in the Delaware River Basin. We need you to come out and protest the vote in huge numbers.
Because this moment is so important, I made a new video, my first video addressing fracking since GASLAND. You can watch it HERE.
The crucial decision to frack or not to frack the Delaware is in the hands of President Obama and the Governors of Delaware and New York. We need you to take charge and push them to do the right thing.
I have travelled all over this world, in over 30 states in the USA, to Africa, to Europe, Asia and Australia and one thing is clear: Fracking is not only one of the most destructive forms of extreme energy development, creating water contamination, horrific and hazardous air pollution and a health crisis, it is a world wide scourge that pushes us farther away from the renewable energy future that we need.
Now the fight comes back to my home, the Delaware River Basin, where it started for me. But this fight isn’t about me. It’s about the drinking water for 16 million people that the Delaware River provides.
If enough of us get out there, we can save the Delaware River and we can win a huge battle in the fight against fracking nationwide and worldwide. We can inspire the nation and the world to rid ourselves of this dirty form of energy.
THE CRUCIAL VOTE:
The Delaware River Basin Commission is an interstate body with five voting members, the Governors of New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey and the Obama Administration as represented by the Army Corps of Engineers. Three out of five votes will either pass or reject the plan to frack the Delaware River.
It seems clear that the Governors of New Jersey and Pennsylvania will vote to allow fracking on a huge scale in the River Basin, which is why we need all three remaining votes in order to prevail.
Like the massive actions these past few months against Tar Sands development and the Keystone XL pipeline, this decision will be a “watershed” moment for President Obama and a must win for us fighting against extreme energy development.
Not only is the Delaware River the source of drinking water for 16 million people (or 5% of Americans), it is a designated Wild and Scenic river, a tourist destination for 5.4 million people a year and a national treasure. The proposed plan to frack the Delaware would forever industrialize and contaminate this precious and currently pristine watershed. We can work together now to protect our water.
We are asking you to do two things:
1) Make calls. 2) Come join us in an amazing protest effort on November 21st.
MAKE CALLS RIGHT NOW:
Call the Army Corps of Engineers to urge them to vote no fracking in the Delaware River Basin. Tell them you will hold President Obama accountable for the vote and make it clear that you know that it is his decision. 703 697 4672 Leave a message for Jo Ellen Darcy, Obama’s rep on the DRBC
Call Governor Jack Markell of Delaware. Delaware has been sitting on the fence on fracking. We need them clearly and unequivocally voting no. Tell him to vote no fracking on the upcoming DRBC vote. 302-577-3210
Call Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York. Tell him to oppose fracking in the Delaware River Basin watershed, just as he has in the New York city and Syracuse watersheds. 518-474-8390
PROTEST on NOVEMBER 21st in Trenton, N.J.
When: November 21, 8 am
Where: Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, 1 Memorial Drive Trenton, N.J.
Coming from another location? Bus sign up HERE.
Sign up for email updates HERE.
Delaware Riverkeeper Network will host a training session in lawful, peaceful, first amendment activity on November 2oth in New York City and Trenton.
NYC, Sign up HERE.
Trenton, Sign up HERE.
Questions: savethedelawareriver@gmail.com and/or continue to check back.
AND just for a shot in the arm, here is a special statement from our friend, Bill McKibben:
“We’re obviously deep in the trenches in Keystone XL pipeline fight, which has galvanized the whole country. But it’s not just the pipe we’re fighting, it’s the carbon it carries. And that carbon–that extreme energy, the second round of fossil fuels now that the easy stuff is gone–doesn’t just come from tarsands. It also comes from removing mountaintops for coal, and from drilling deep under the ocean–and, urgently, from fracking. We’ve simply got to somehow slow the rush to this new and dangerous technology, which promises to overwhelm the atmosphere with global warming gases. “
I’ve never had more resolve, I’ve never been more challenged and yet I’ve never felt more proud of us and our strength that I do right now. I know we can win. Please join us and act quickly.
For more info go to www.savethedelawareriver.com.
Thank you,
Josh Fox
Director, GASLAND
Milanville, PA
