Shale gas drilling is looming in the Upper Delaware River Watershed in NY and PA.
Why is this a threat to our water supplies?
What are the risks involved ?
Established in 1988 upon the appointment of the Delaware Riverkeeper, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network (DRN) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization. DRN’s professional staff and volunteers work throughout the entire Delaware River Watershed including portions of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and New York.
In 2025, the Delaware River Keeper is still online! In 2013 they produced a 25 year anniversary PDF.
See also: Delaware River Keeper. Fact Sheets. (2011)
See also: The Truth About Natural Shale Gas Extraction in the Upper Delaware River Watershed: What You Need to Know. (2009)
See also: “Natural Gas Well Drilling and Production in the Upper Delaware River Fact Sheet” (pp. 67-92. PDF 17MB. 2009).
Editor’s note. The only existing copy of this fact sheet is contained in evidence partially based on this Fact Sheet provided by Thomas and Diana Yatsonsky in 201o to the Environmental Quality Board in Harrisburg, PA. (pp. 67-92. PDF 17MB)
Neil Zusman. 3 Feb 2025.
These practices have impacts: Environmental pollution is reported around the country near natural gas wells either from spills, accidents or well development practices . However, gas drilling is exempt from many provisions of federal environmental laws. Virtually no human health studies are underway to assess the impacts on people. For instance, the situation is so severe that in Colorado a Health Impact Assessment has been called for due to pollution problems there.
“…An increased risk of stillbirths linked to the flaring of natural gas with high levels of hydrogen sulfide has been reported in cattle in Canada. Incidents in Texas are increasingly reported, especially in the Fort Worth region.
There is a need for thorough study of the environmental and health impacts of well drilling and development; there is very little on record. For instance, in Colorado a Health Impact Assessment has been called for as part of an Environmental Impact Statement due to documented pollution problems from natural gas development in Garfield County that require scientific analysis.
To date, research has been impeded because fracking fluids are protected from disclosure by federal protections granted to the oil and gas industry despite health and environmental impacts…”
See: DamascusCitizens.org
See: Gasland: Drilling Isn’t Safe
See: N.Y. Democrat Fires Back at Obama Admin in Fight Over Shale Drilling>
See: This Website is a Crash Course In Fracking
See: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Case Heads to Supreme Court
See: Obama Admin Rejects Timeout for Natural Gas Drilling in N.Y., Pa.
See: U.S. EPA Initiates Hydraulic Fracturing Study | Meeting | EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB)
See: N.Y. Democrat Fires Back at Obama Admin in Fight Over Shale Drilling
