Water withdrawal permits for Penn. gas drillers protested

In a meeting disrupted by protestors, the commission that regulates water use in the Susquehanna River Basin approved 48 applications for water withdrawals by natural gas companies drilling in the Marcellus shale, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

Opponents said the gas drilling is a threat to water quality and the approvals allow the drilling industry to grow. Representatives of the commission, which regulates water quantity but not quality, said that withdrawals are not a threat and are restricted to keep small streams from drying up.

Read more at The Wall Street Journal.