Petitioners want more oversight on pipelines in the Delaware River watershed

With tens of thousand of miles of new natural gas pipelines expected to transverse the Delaware River watershed through PA, NJ & NY to move the Marcellus natural gas being fracked from wells, conservation groups have petitioned the Delaware River Basin Commission to take jurisdiction over pipeline proposals by using the existing authority granted to the multi-state commission.

"The DRBC should use its existing authority, or establish new authority, to ensure … no new pipelines will be constructed that might adversely affect water quality,” said Kate Sinding, an attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council who, along with 51 other organizations, has signed onto the petition.

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is made up of the governors of PA, NJ, NY and DE along with a representative of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The DRBC can enact rules and regulations to protect the watershed.