Secretary Krancer Calls Delaware Officials "Dogs"

May 3, 2012 | 2:09 PM

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

A German Shepard bares its teeth at an attack dog training session.

Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Krancer is no friend to the EPA. He’s made that clear almost every time he speaks about gas drilling, even while testifying before Congress. Now, Krancer seems to be barking at Delaware. At a forum last week in northeast Pennsylvania hosted by the Wayne County Builders Association, Krancer expressed his frustration with Delaware’s role on the Delaware River Basin Commission. The Wayne Independent reported on the forum, where Krancer seemed to dodge any questions about a state law known as Chapter 102, which creates setbacks from waterways. But according to the Wayne Independent, the Secretary jumped right in when a question came up about the DRBC’s current moratorium on drilling in Wayne County.

Krancer said the governor is at “his wit’s end” with the DRBC.
He also said the issues are “being driven by the governor of Delaware,” adding he is “not confident the voters of Delaware are going to make the right decision” when choosing the next governor.
Krancer also was critical of the fact the bulk of Delaware does not get its water from the Delaware River yet they are the driving force behind the commission.
“Sometimes they smell like the tail of a dog,” said Krancer of Delaware. “And it (the state) is shaped like a dog with a tail. This is the tail wagging the dog.”

Krancer recently told StateImpact Pennsylvania that Delaware’s opposition to drilling is purely political, but never used the dog reference. The DRBC has a moratorium on drilling until it approves new rules. But that process is stalled, partly because Delaware wants an environmental impact statement, and New York wants to hold off until they agree on their own drilling rules. Of the five members on the commission, Pennsylvania has been the most in favor of lifting the moratorium.