Council Passes Fracking Resolution

The City Council passed a resolution Wednesday night calling for lawmakers to re-enact a moratorium on the controversial natural gas mining procedure known as fracking, but environmental activists said the resolution lacked bite.

On May 15, a number of activists joined Food & Water Watch Eastern Regional Director Jim Walsh at a council meeting in hopes of convincing the council to ban fracking in New Brunswick as a preventative measure to preserve the health and well-being of city residents.

At Wednesday's meeting, council president Rebecca Escobar introduced a resolution decided upon by the council that calls on the state to re-enact a moratorium on fracking in New Jersey following the results on its impact on public health and the environment in the state.

The final paragraph of the resolution reads as follows:

"Now therefore be it resolved by the city council of the City of New Brunswick that council calls upon the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly to reenact a moratorium on fracking activities in the state pending a comprehensive review, analysis and determination on the impact of fracking on the environment and public health of the state and whether regulation or prohibition of fracking is necessary to protect the public interest."

The council unanimously accepted the resolution.

Walsh thanked the council for their attention and research, but said that the resolution was not what he and his peers had in mind when they brought the topic before the council.

Walsh claimed the study in question is not being independently conducted, and that it does not have an estimated completion date, so it may not provide adequate information to make an informed decision, he said.

"I hope we can see stronger action from the council in the future," he said.

Resident Charlie Kratovil called the resolution "toothless" and said that action is needed to protect the city from nearby fracking operations, as well as the possibility of it coming to the city.

This is not the first time the council has addressed fracking. In August 2011, council passed a resolution in support of a statewide ban on fracking.