A03888
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
515
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY FRITZ, BERNSTINE, BAKER AND MACKENZIE,
SEPTEMBER 21, 2017
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY,
SEPTEMBER 21, 2017
A RESOLUTION
Urging the Delaware River Basin Commission to suspend
consideration of a moratorium on natural gas drilling in the
Delaware River Basin.
WHEREAS, The residents of this Commonwealth have waited
patiently for the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) to take
action regarding the advancement of natural gas extraction in
the basin; and
WHEREAS, The special meeting of the DRBC scheduled for
November 21, 2011, to consider adoption of draft natural gas
development regulations was postponed and to date has created
the appearance of being postponed indefinitely; and
WHEREAS, The inaction-based moratorium on natural gas
development has exceeded a reasonable time period and, because
of such, has caused irreparable economic harm to those who
entered into good faith leasing agreements with natural gas
developers; and
WHEREAS, As articulated and clarified in their May 8, 2013,
press release titled "SRBC Staying In Its Lane, Study Studying
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Water Quantity," the Susquehanna River Basin Commission's
purpose and objective is to remain in the agency's lane of
expertise. The SRBC states; "when a regulatory agency chooses to
stray out of its lane of expertise and mission, it can have
profound programmatic and legal consequences. Most important,
however, I believe it does the public a disservice"; and
WHEREAS, The residents and property owners in the
Commonwealth have suffered and continue to suffer from the
disservice that is a consequence of inaction on behalf of the
DRBC; and
WHEREAS, The DRBC should follow a similar regulatory path as
the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and focus on its mission
as a water management agency to assure the long-term balance
between healthy ecosystems and economic vitality; and
WHEREAS, The DRBC should abandon any proposed plans to
regulate natural gas drilling beyond the already established
functions that focus on water quantity and water quality data
collection and analysis; therefore be it and
WHEREAS, Nothing in this resolution supersedes section 27 of
Article I of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, which states:
"The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the
preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic
values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural
resources are the common property of all of the people,
including generations yet to come. As trustee of these
resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for
the benefit of all the people"; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the Delaware
River Basin Commission to suspend consideration of a moratorium
on natural gas drilling in the Delaware River Basin.
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