UPDATED: House Environmental Committee Holds Meeting On Delaware River Basin Commission March 20

The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to hold an informational meeting March 20 with the Delaware River Basin Commission on how the Commonwealth’s oversight affects those in the watershed versus the rest of the state.

The Committee is expected to address issues related to the proposed DRBC permanent ban on fracking natural gas wells in the watershed.

Those expected to make comments are--

-- Thomas Shepstone, Shepstone Management Company. Click Here for previous hearing testimony.

-- Christopher Nestor, Overstreet & Nestor, LLC

-- Ned Lang, PA Septage Management Association

The meeting will be held in Room G-50 of the Irvis Building starting at 10:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch the meeting online.

The Committee is also expected to have a voting meeting next week which might consider legislation related to issues involving the Susquehanna and Delaware River Basin Commissions possibly including these bills--

-- House Bill 827 (Fritz-R-Wayne) requiring compensation for oil and gas rights owners in Delaware River Watershed if DRBC adopts a permanent ban on fracking (sponsor summary).  Click Here for more background on compensating landowners.

-- House Bill 804 (Moul-R-Adams) authorizing DEP to broadly regulate groundwater withdrawals for the first time as opposed to the Susquehanna and Delaware River Basin Commissions, and give either the Senate or House Environmental Committees the authority to veto any regulation adopted to implement the legislation without a full vote of the Senate or House (sponsor summary).  Click Here for more background.

-- House Bill 829 (Fritz-R-Wayne) prohibiting the Delaware River Basin Commission from regulating onlot septic systems (sponsor summary).

Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) serves as Majority Chair of the House Environmental Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-783-1707 or sending email to: dmetcalf@pahousegop.com. Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-787-7647 or sending email to: gvitali@pahouse.net.