Politics & Government

Veto of Anti-Fracking Bill Disappoints

The bill, which received unanimous support from State legislators, would have prohibited the treatment of fracking wastewater in New Jersey.

By most accounts, New Jersey doesn’t have enough natural gas to warrant the controversial underground drilling known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking for sort.

What the state can offer, environmentalists fear, is a dumping ground for the carcinogenic waste that results from the process.

On Friday, Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a bipartisan bill to ban the processing of fracking fluid and wastewater in New Jersey plants. The bill, which was passed by both the State Senate and Assembly, is unconstitutional, he claimed, counter to the argument of state legislators who passed it because it is constitutional to not allow companies to dispose of waste in New Jersey.

Find out what's happening in Rumson-Fair Havenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The veto caused a furor among environmentalists and prompted concerns from disappointed locals who believe Christie is putting the state’s water supply and residents at risk with his decision.

Ultimately, Christie decided it was not in the state’s best interest.

Find out what's happening in Rumson-Fair Havenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“It is disappointing that the Governor vetoed a widely-supported bill and chose commerce over the safety of our water supply,” Red Bank Environmental Commission Chairwoman Laura Bagwell said in an email Tuesday. “Grave concerns exist about the ability of treatment plants to safely filter out all of the contaminants that exist in fracking wastewater.”

Fracking is the process of extracting natural gas from thousands of feet underground by pumping fracking fluid into shale. The fracking causes the shale to crack, which then results in the release of natural gas. The fluid used in fracking is part water and chemicals and is radioactive and known to contain carcinogens.

The issue with disposal is that, in New Jersey at least, no processing plants have the tools necessary to properly filter the contaminated waste. Fracking wastewater has been transported to and treated in New Jersey at least twice, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

In June, the bills banning fracking waste from being treated in New Jersey were passed by the Assembly 56-19-1-4 and the Senate 30-5-5, respectively. State Sen. Jennifer Beck, R-11, voted to approve the fracking wastewater ban. She was joined by Assembly Representatives Declan O’Scanlon, R-13, and Caroline Casagrande, R-11.

Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini, R-11, voted against the ban.

The bill isn’t dead yet. Bagwell and others are calling on the legislator to override the governor’s veto.

“Given the critical importance of protecting our drinking water and waterways of NJ from pollution,” Bagwell wrote. “I strongly encourage the legislature to override the Governor's veto. This is a critical time for New Jersey.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here