A seven-year moratorium on natural gas development near the Delaware River would be replaced by a permanent ban under a proposal that’s being developed by the agency that oversees the water supply of more than 15 million people.
The Delaware River Basin Commission, a regulatory body that has representatives from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and the federal government, could vote as early as next week to begin the process of enacting a formal ban on gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing, according to a person with knowledge of the proposal. The person spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because the plan is not scheduled to be made public until Friday.