Prompted by the end of the public comment period for the Delaware River Basin Commission's proposed regulations for hydraulic fracturing, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced yesterday that he will sue the federal government if it allows the DRBC's fracking regs to go into effect without doing a full environmental review of the consequences.
Schneiderman announced his shot over the DRBC's bow in a press releasse:
“Both the law and common sense dictate that the federal government must fully assess the impact of its actions before opening the door to gas fracking in New York,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “New Yorkers are correctly concerned about fracking's potential dangers to their environment, health and communities, and I will use the full authority of my office, including aggressive legal action, to ensure the federal government is forced to address those concerns.”
The DRBC decided to allow hydraulic fracturing to proceed in the Delaware River watershed without first doing an environmental impact study in December. It has been taking public comments about its proposed regulations over the past few months, in writing and at a series of public meetings that were quite well-attended by both pro- and anti-frackers. The public comment period ended on Friday.
