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Josephs applauds IRRC's adoption of new regs designed to protect our waters

HARRISBURG, June 18 – State Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Phila., said two sets of regulations approved Thursday by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission will protect Pennsylvania waterways from Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling and development near stream banks.

"This is a good step toward protecting our natural resources as more and more companies are eyeing up Pennsylvania's large deposit of natural gas," Josephs said. "There's still much more to be done to protect our environment from the harmful effects of the growing industry that is Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling, but these regulations will help protect the Commonwealth's waters."

Josephs was one of 21 House members to write IRRC in support of the regulations.

One set of rules would require natural gas drillers to meet a higher standard for treating wastewater before dumping it into Pennsylvania waterways.

Josephs said she believes updated wastewater treatment regulations could prevent a recurrence of an aquatic life kill on a 43-mile stretch of Dunkard Creek on the Pennsylvania-West Virginia border. High levels of total dissolved solids, which under the new rules would have to be reduced before water is discharged into streams by drillers, were found to be a contributing factor in the fish kill on Dunkard Creek in September when they created conditions for the growth and toxic bloom of golden algae.

A second set of rules approved by the review commission would require 150-foot buffers for new development along exceptional-value and high-quality streams. Josephs said stream buffers improve water quality by filtering pollutants from stormwater runoff such as oil, fertilizers and pesticides. She also said they reduce flooding and erosion by stabilizing stream banks.

With IRRC's approval of the new rules, they will become effective in four to six weeks unless the General Assembly moves to block them with a concurrent resolution that would have to be adopted in both chambers and signed by the governor. The governor has said he supports the new rules approved by IRRC.

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