Federal Legislation to Protect the Delaware Watershed

For Immediate Release

April 14, 2015

Contact Jeff Tittel 609-558-9100

Federal Legislation to Protect the Delaware Watershed

Today the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act of 2015 was introduced. Senators Booker and Menendez as well as their colleagues have introduced this bill to preserve and improve the Delaware River Watershed. The Sierra Club commends this significant act because it finally provides the Delaware River with federal designation for conservation.

“We would like to thank the Senators for introducing legislation to help protect the Delaware River Basin. This legislation takes a holistic approach to protecting the watershed for conservation purposes. This is critical to safeguarding the river for future generations. The states themselves cannot do it alone and must partner with the federal government. The Chesapeake Bay, though it has problems has seen improvement through legislation like this,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the Sierra Club.

The Delaware River is 330 miles and stretches from the Catskill Mountains in New York to the Delaware Bay in Delaware. 5 percent of the nation’s drinking water comes from the Delaware River and more than 17 million people depend on it. Cities like New York and Philadelphia receive their drinking water from the watershed. The program would be part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service restoration program. The designation requires federal and state agency consultation as well as regional and local collaboration with governments and organizations. The bill would provide $5 million annually to fund water restoration projects, with a maximum federal share of 50 percent.

“We need the federal government to partner with the state because the states alone do not have the resources. Many states have been weakening protections for the Delaware River. For example in New Jersey, under the Christie Administration, we have rolled back protections on water quality planning and protecting the rivers and tributaries from pollution. That is one of the reasons we need the federal government to get involved. We need to strengthen legislation and prevent weakening of environmental protections. This proposal would complement the work of the Delaware River Basin Commission and help strengthen it,” said Tittel.

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) controls the region of the river basin and its lack of oversight has caused risks to our water. The Commission is made up of representatives of the Governors of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania in addition to a representative from the Army Corp of Engineers. The Army Corp of Engineers has proposed loose rules that would permit fracking in our drinking water.

“The federal government is supposed to fund the DRBC. Hopefully this legislation will give it the funding it deserves. A partnership with the DRBC will go a long way to protect the river for future generations. It would be also be good to move legislation to deal with pipelines and electric transmission in the region, which need to be properly located and regulated. We would like to see fracking moratorium permanent,” said Tittel.

Pipelines coming through the Delaware River region also pose threat to drinking water. More natural gas lines create a higher demand for fracking and dirty infrastructure. These pipelines are bringing natural gas from the Marcellus Region of Pennsylvania throughout New Jersey. Natural gas extraction involves injecting huge amounts of water and chemicals into rock formations that can pollute surrounding aquifers and waterways.

“This legislation is an important step in the protection of the Delaware River and the water supply for over 17 million people. This legislation will help ensure that there is fresh, clean drinking water for future generations and that the Delaware River will keep its sparkle,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the Sierra Club.