Open letter to DRBC on gas drilling

I live in Port Jervis, New York which is on the main stem of the Delaware River at the juncture of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We already have enough problems getting adequate flow from the New York City Dams. It has hurt the fisheries and businesses who depend on the river to make a living. I am very concerned that water will be withdrawn from the West Branch of the Delaware River in Wayne County, Pennsylvania for natural gas drilling. The flow of the West Branch is regulated by New York City for water supply and some releases are made to protect the West Branch and the main stem, which begins where the East Branch joins just south of the proposed withdrawal location. It is difficult enough to keep a healthy flow in the river; there are already lots of competing interests regarding flow management. Fresh water is needed by people for water supply and fish, wildlife and aquatic life cannot exist without a healthy flow regimen. Until the Commission completes a build-out analysis of the full impacts of water withdrawals and pollution inputs for natural gas extraction, it is premature for the Commission to approve withdrawals. How much water will be needed ultimately by all gas development projects in the Upper Delaware River Watershed? What will these water withdrawals do to the water supply and aquatic life that rely on these waters? How will the exceptional water quality of this part of the river be impacted by the withdrawal, compounded by the input of pollution from gas development projects? This proposed docket forecasts over a 10 year period - how will this withdrawal impact the region, compounded with other projects -over that time. Executive Director Carol Collier has issued a Determination in May 2009 that natural gas extraction has the potential to have substantial impacts on the Special Protection Waters of the Delaware River, which includes the West Branch. But how will these impacts be measured so that harm can be averted? What is the “safe yield” of the River? Will we sacrifice our water quality and volume for the development of natural gas? Until you have studied the ultimate build-out of what is expected and how that will impact our previous resources , it is wrong to approve this application. Please postpone action on this application until you complete a build-out analysis of gas development. Thank you for protecting the Delaware River. George A. Belcher Councilman, Port Jervis, N.Y.