Save the Delaware From Drilling
Gas industry lobbyists are lobbying Gov. Christie for policies that would expose the Delaware River, and all our landscapes, to the dangers of gas drilling. But they've got a fight on their hands — thousands of New Jerseyans are joining our call to help stop gas drilling from contaminating our drinking water, polluting our air, destroying beautiful land and threatening our health.
At stake: The Delaware River
The Delaware River should be protected for this generation and the next. It is a beautiful river that provides drinking water for millions — and we should not allow fracking, the hazardous new method of gas drilling, anywhere near its waters or tributaries.
Gas drilling is dirty, dangerous and doesn’t deliver. It has been shown to pollute drinking water sources, destroy public lands and scar the landscape. It would pollute the Delaware and its drinking water. However, Gov. Chris Christie has said he supports gas drilling in the Delaware Basin. We need to ban gas drilling in New Jersey and in the Delaware River basin.
If you have been to the Delaware Water Gap, you know what’s at stake. Canoeing on the Delaware. Hiking to Sunfish Pond.
And, even if you've never been to the Delaware, you might be one of the 3 million New Jersey residents who gets their drinking water from the Delaware. There’s no reason that we should allow gas drilling – and its huge rigs, miles of pipelines and cesspools of toxic waste near our drinking water sources.
We need to change the governor's mind
We need to mobilize New Jerseyans across the state to oppose the governor on this issue—and provide enough pressure to change his mind.
We refuse to stand by and let Gov. Christie drill the Delaware – and we have a plan to defend the Delaware River. We’re working to bring New Jersey residents from all walks of life to protect the Delaware. All of us – students, scientists, hikers, teachers, anglers, tourism businesses and New Jerseyans across the state – have something to fight for.
We’ve worked the halls of Trenton on this issue, educating lawmakers and even the governor’s staff about the dangers of gas drilling, and shined a spotlight in the media on this issue.
With your help, we can win for the Delaware
Thousands of you have joined the fight. Across the state, you’re calling or emailing your legislators, signing petitions, spreading the word to family and friends, and attending the Trenton War Memorial rally in November.
Your activism and our advocacy are a powerful combination. Gov. Chrisite has been forced back on this heels, and he’s not actively engaging in this issue. But he’s not giving up the fight — and neither can we.
We need you to get involved if we’re going to convince the governor to protect the Delaware once and for all. If enough of us speak out, we can ensure that gas drillers won’t become our new neighbors.
Key Facts
- From the diesel exhaust produced by trucks and equipment, to gases vented from wells, condensers or waste ponds, air pollution from Marcellus Shale gas production poses risks to the health of nearby residents, and could cause greater air quality concerns statewide.
- We could see up to 300 drilling wells along the Delaware River within the next two years — which would scar priceless scenery and compromise the drinking water for 3 million New Jerseyans.
- At the urging of Environment New Jersey and allied groups across the region, the Delware River Basin Commission canceled a vote that could have allowed fracking along the Delaware.