Tribute To Chuck Coccodrilli

Stop ’30 x 30′ Before It Stops All of Us!

RGGI Is But the Classic “Solution in Search of A Problem”

We have received some good news from our state representative, Jon Fritz. Three bills that he sponsored were advanced by the House. All three of these bills are moving to the Senate for consideration. Two of these bills, which would decrease reliance on Russian oil and gas and give Pennsylvania energy freedom by using its own resources, are especially of interest to landowners in the DRB. They are House Bill 2450 and House Bill 2451.

House Bill 2450 would amend Pennsylvania’s version of the Delaware River Basin Compact (DRBC) to reapportion the voting rights within the DRBC based on the amount of the basin territory that is within each state. Under this bill, Pennsylvania will have six votes as opposed to the current one vote that the Commonwealth has.

House Bill 2451 would amend Pennsylvania’s version of the Delaware River Basin Compact (DRBC) to make it clear that it is not within the DRBC’s authority to ban fracking.

This is great news, but we need your help now to get these bills moved through the Senate.

One avenue that would be effective is to write letters to the editors of the local papers or the Scranton Times. Letters should be concise and stress fairness/unfairness and the need for domestic energy.

It is imperative that phone calls be made to ALL Republican Senators statewide and to the Democratic Senators in the basin. A list has been prepared (see below) with all the names and numbers to be contacted. Here are some sample talking points that you can use:

My name is ______ and I am a (lifelong or length of time) resident of ________ County, Pennsylvania.

1. Now more than ever, we realize the need to decrease our reliance on Russian oil and gas, especially when we have the resources right here to be energy independent. I am asking for your support of House Bills 2450 and 2451.


2. Pennsylvania has had unfair representation in the Delaware River Basin Commission. We have the largest amount of land in the basin. Based on that, Pennsylvania should have proportional say. I am asking for your support of House Bills 2450 and 2451.


3. Not only has the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania been unfairly represented in the DRBC, individual landowners have been treated unfairly as well. The rest of the state is successfully harvesting the natural gas that is rightfully theirs but not so in the DRB due to its ban on fracking. I am asking for your support of House Bills 2450 and 2451.
   
   
4. Three of the five commissioners who sit on the Delaware River Basin Commission also sit on the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, where fracking is allowed. If the commissioners approve fracking there, they should approve it here. There any no other industries banned in this basin, or the entire state for that matter, due to possible risks. I am asking for your support of House Bills 2450 and 2451.