Governor Phil Murphy says New Jersey will support efforts to permanently ban fracking in the Delaware River watershed.
Murphy says the gas drilling process that uses a pressurized liquid to fracture underground rock formations is one of the most dangerous threats in modern times.
“Fracking puts our health and safety and the health safety of our environment and our communities at risk. It is a direct threat to our water and runs counter to our values.”
Murphy says New Jersey will work closely with the Delaware River Basin Commission as it moves toward a permanent fracking ban.
“We take this step in partnership with our neighbors because pollution has a pesky way of ignoring state lines. When it comes to matters of protecting the Delaware River we must act as one.”
Former Governor Chris Christie vetoed legislation that would have banned the dumping of fracking wastewater in New Jersey.
Governor Murphy says that is a concern, but he wants to make sure a prohibition would not violate interstate commerce laws.