My view

Accessing Delaware River Basin gas is only fair

By BETTY SUTLIFF
Posted 5/5/22

Thanks to the sponsorship and hard work done by Rep. Jon Fritz, three bills of importance were advanced by the House.  Two of these bills, which would decrease reliance on Russian oil and gas …

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My view

Accessing Delaware River Basin gas is only fair

Posted

Thanks to the sponsorship and hard work done by Rep. Jon Fritz, three bills of importance were advanced by the House.  Two of these bills, which would decrease reliance on Russian oil and gas and give Pennsylvania energy freedom by using its own resources, are especially of interest to landowners in the Delaware River Basin.  They are House Bill 2450 and House Bill 2451.  

Now more than ever, we realize the need to decrease our reliance on Russian oil and gas, especially when we have the resources right under our feet to be energy independent.  Yet certain areas of Pennsylvania have been unfairly blocked from accessing these resources.

The representation we have been afforded under the current Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) compact is unfair because Pennsylvania has the largest amount of land in the basin and is not represented proportionally.  Right now we have the same say over our land as do New Jersey, Delaware, and New York.  How is that fair?  HB 2450 will correct that.

Not only has the Commonwealth been unfairly represented in the DRBC, but also the individual landowners have been treated unfairly as well.  The rest of the state is successfully harvesting the natural gas that is rightfully theirs.  Three of the five commissioners who sit on the DRBC also sit on the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, where they allow fracking.  If the commissioners approve fracking in the SRB, they should approve it in the DRB.   The DRBC should not have the right to supersede states’ rights and pick and choose where they can ban an industry in the state.  They claim “possible risk,” yet no other industry is banned due to possible risk.  HB 2451 will correct that.

For more information on these bills and how you can help move these bills in the Senate, please go to the Upper Delaware River Basin Citizen  website at udrbc.org.  Thank you, Rep. Fritz!

Betty Sutliff is the secretary for the Upper Delaware River Basin Citizens.

fracking, natural gas, Delaware River Basin Commission, Pennsylvania, Susquehanna River Basin Commission

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