Delaware River Basin Commission Adds Feb. 3 Hearing On Proposed Fracking Wastewater Regulations

On January 20, the Delaware River Basin Commission announced it will hold an additional public hearing on February 3, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. on proposed regulations it published in October 2021, concerning water importations and exportations and certain wastewater discharges.

The DRBC invites and welcomes individuals and organizations throughout the Basin to attend the public hearing and to provide oral or written comment on the proposed regulation. 

The following additional measures are intended to expand opportunities for public participation in the Commission’s current rulemaking process:

-- The public hearing on February 3, 2022, will include enhanced language access to include real-time English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English professional translation, on a pilot basis. Attendees may choose to participate in the virtual hearing in either English or Spanish.

-- The February 3, 2022, public hearing will be held virtually; for individuals who may not have access to a computer or the internet, or for individuals who choose to join the virtual hearing by phone, toll-free numbers will be provided.

-- For individuals who are unable to use the DRBC’s online comment system but would like to provide written comments, exception-seekers may submit their request and proposed comment by mail simultaneously. No reasonable request for an exception will be denied.

-- The DRBC recently upgraded its website to provide an interactive language translation widget that can translate web-based formatted text on any of DRBC’s web pages from English to over 100 different languages. 

-- The DRBC has posted the draft rules and rulemaking notice in Spanish (including certificate of translation) on its website and has established a process for requesting certified translation of documents related to this rulemaking into additional languages.

-- The DRBC announced on November 16, 2021, an extension from January 28, 2022, to February 28, 2022, of the period for written comment on the proposed regulations.

The DRBC’s proposed rules, first announced October 28, 2021, update existing regulations on importations of water into and exportations of water from the Delaware River Basin. 

They also prohibit the discharge of wastewater from high volume hydraulic fracturing and related activities to waters or land within the Basin, and they incorporate this prohibition into the DRBC’s Water Quality Regulations.

Those interested in attending the public hearing and providing oral or written comment on the proposed regulations are encouraged to review the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, including the text of the proposed rules, in either English or Spanish, along with related materials and information on the DRBC’s website.  

For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Delaware River Basin Commission website.  Click Here to sign up for regulator updates.  Follow DRBC on Twitter.  Visit them on YouTube.

NewsClip:

-- Delaware RiverKeeper Jan. 21 RiverWatch Video Report

[Posted: January 20, 2022]  PA Environment Digest