Letter to the Delaware River Basin Commission concerning Gas Drilling Regulations..
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
STATE OF DELAWARE
LEGISLATIVE HALL
DOVER, DELAWARE 19901
Dear Governor Markell,
I am reaching out to you today since you are one of the five voting members of the Delaware River Basin Commission. I am asking you to vote in opposition to the weak gas drilling regulations being considered at a special November 21 DRBC hearing in Trenton N.J.
I am urging you, on behalf of all my constituents and their families, to protect the water supply of over 15 million people and cast your vote against weakened natural gas drilling regulations.
I am asking that you vote to require thorough cumulative impact studies so that we might consider and fully understand the impacts that allowing tens of thousands of gas wells would have if permitted in the upper and middle Delaware River Basin.
It would put our water, air, land and health at risk to consider drilling before necessary science is explored and federal studies are completed. In addition loopholes available to the industry allowing them to act without proper responsibility must be closed.
There have been very serious concerns raised about the economic viability of shale-gas drilling and the public health and environmental impacts that would result with slick-water hydraulic fracturing in shale. Numerous academic studies, governmental investigations and substantial investigative reporting over the past two years have documented serious concerns with this practice. There is strong evidence that voting for these weak regulations would put the residents and constituents of the Delaware River Basin at considerable risk and could result in irreparable harm to public health and the environment. We can certainly live without this finite amount of gas but our citizens cannot live without clean, drinkable and usable water.
I respectfully urge you to vote against this proposal which would put our citizens and environment at risk.
Respectfully yours,
John Kowalko
State Representative 25th District
CC: Secretary Collin O’Mara, Tom McGonigle, All Senators and Representatives
14 Kells Avenue, Newark, DE 19711
Home: 302-737-2396 House Office: 302-577-8476 Fax: 302-577-6701
john.kowalko@state.de.us
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