Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett has asked the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) to remove a 3-year moratorium on natural gas drilling from the Marcellus shale.
In a letter to DRBC last month, Corbett said the agency has had more than enough time to implement regulations that would allow gas drilling from the Marcellus shale while protecting water quality in the Delaware River and its tributaries.
DRBC has published draft drilling regulations in 2010, but the agency cancelled a 2011 vote on the rules. That vote has not been rescheduled.
Corbett said Pennsylvania has drilling rules that ensure gas is developed responsibly.
The Marcellus Shale Coalition also has asked DRBC to drop the moratorium, saying northeastern Pennsylvania landowners have the right to develop their property.
DRBC has representatives from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the federal government.
