NWPOA'S Momentum with the DRBC and what it means to N.Y.

Here is part of what I looped to the NWPOA:
Hello Members!
VICTORY DAY FOR LANDOWNERS at the DRBC! If you went and took pictures please send a few in so that we can loop them out!

It was Bastille Day for the common land owners! The July 14th DRBC meeting was a great victory for property owners in Wayne County! First of all we need prudent regulations to come out of DRBC. Since the 2008 DRBC announcement that they would regulate n gas activity, we have been waiting for that draft to be released. We only recently started pushing hard to get that with legal counsel.

1) At the DRBC Meeting they announced that the draft has gone out to the Commissioners for review! Victory #1
We have been pushing for the process to be completed asap including the public hearings. The Antis have been pushing for additional delays and a full moratorium, insisting that a full cumulative impact study be done. An impact study would need to include every use and impact on the water shed and could not fully assess the gas industry because we do not yet know how extensive producible Marcellus shale is in the watershed.
2) the DRBC voted to move the draft regulations quickly, including public hearing to adopt the regs by the end of the year, 2010! Victory #2!
3) the DRBC realized that they had to take action on the water withdrawal dockets for industry, in this case Stone energy water withdrawal. They approved the Stone Energy Water withdrawal Docket. Victory #3!
4) The DRBC moratorium stopped all new exploration wells from moving forward. Property owners were requesting that the basic science wells be allowed to go forward. We did not want the moratorium extended. In fact we wanted additional test wells allowed. What we got was our initial test wells are allowed to continue and the DRBC granted 2 additional wells for HESS! Victory #4!
5) We filed for a hearing saying that property owners were hurt by the DRBC Moratorium. The DRBC does not have to grant us a hearing. But they did grant us a hearing! Victory #5!
6) We wanted to insist that the hearings happen up in Wayne County so that it is not so far for Landowners to travel for these proceedings. The state of New Jersey made a motion that the hearings proceed up in the north east in our area and it passed! So the hearings will happen here! Victory #6

So All in all... It was a wonderful day for property owners. I was proud of the landowners who attended. It was great to look out over the crowd and see the solidarity of more than 200 landowners with caps and t-shirts and signs! The letters and emails that you wrote have made a huge difference! Keep it up! We still have a huge battle before us. The Antis are mad I am sure and will pump up there opposition.

A great day for landowners! Good