History and Mission
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network was established in 1988 with the appointment of the first Delaware Riverkeeper. [1] Its mission is to safeguard the Delaware River, its tributaries, and the communities that depend on them. DRN pursues this mission through legal and policy advocacy, scientific research, public education, and community-based initiatives aimed at improving watershed health. [2] Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, DRN expanded its scientific monitoring programs, community partnerships, and policy advocacy efforts across the watershed.
In the early 2010s, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network played a central role in one of Pennsylvania’s most significant environmental legal battles. In 2012, DRN joined several municipalities in challenging Act 13, a state law that expanded natural gas development and restricted local zoning authority over drilling and fracking operations. The case, Robinson Township v. Commonwealth, reached the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which in 2013 struck down key provisions of the law. Independent reporting has described the ruling as a landmark moment in Pennsylvania environmental law, noting that the decision revived the state’s long‑dormant Environmental Rights Amendment and reshaped the legal framework for environmental oversight in the Commonwealth. [3]
Legal advocacy and litigation
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network has engaged in extensive litigation across federal and state courts to challenge projects and regulatory decisions affecting the Delaware River watershed. One of the organization’s most significant early legal actions, the 2013 Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision in Robinson Township v. Commonwealth, is discussed in the History section of this article. The subsections below summarize additional major cases and regulatory challenges pursued by the organization in recent years. DRN’s litigation portfolio spans federal courts, state courts, and administrative tribunals, with cases involving the Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and state environmental permitting processes.
Challenge to EPA over dissolved oxygen water quality standards (2022–2024)
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network has pursued a multi‑year effort to secure stronger dissolved oxygen water quality standards for the Delaware River Estuary. In April 2022, DRN and partner organizations submitted a legal petition under the Clean Water Act requesting that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiate federal rulemaking to update the standards. EPA granted the petition in December 2022 and issued proposed revised standards on December 21, 2023. [5]
Under Section 303(c)(4)(B) of the Clean Water Act, EPA was required to finalize the standards within 90 days. When the deadline passed without a final rule, DRN sent EPA a 60‑day Notice of Intent to Sue in mid‑2024. After the notice period expired without agency action, DRN filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on October 2, 2024, alleging that EPA’s delay violated the Clean Water Act. [6]
Response to the 2023 Delaware River chemical spill (2023)
In March 2023, a chemical release from the Trinseo Altuglas facility in Bristol, Pennsylvania discharged thousands of gallons of latex emulsion into Otter Creek, a tributary of the Delaware River. The Delaware River spill prompted drinking water concerns in the Philadelphia region and led to temporary shutdowns of intake operations by local water utilities. [7]
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network issued public statements following the incident and conducted on‑the‑ground assessments of affected waterways. The organization criticized delays in public notification and called for stronger oversight of industrial facilities along the river. [8] DRN staff documented visible pollution in impacted tributaries and urged state and federal agencies to conduct comprehensive investigations into the cause, extent, and environmental consequences of the spill. [9]
Endangered Species Act litigation over Atlantic sturgeon (2024)
In 2024, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network joined with other environmental organizations in notifying three states (PA, NJ, DE) of their intent to sue under the federal Endangered Species Act, alleging that state actions and inaction were contributing to the unlawful killing of Atlantic sturgeon, a federally protected species native to the Delaware River. [10] The groups later filed suit seeking to compel stronger protections and compliance with the Act. [11]
Transco REAE pipeline appeal (2024)
In 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued a precedential decision affirming that the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board (PA EHB) has jurisdiction to hear administrative appeals of state permits issued for the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company’s Regional Energy Access Expansion (REAE) project. The ruling allowed a challenge brought by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, the Delaware Riverkeeper, and PennFuture to proceed before the PA EHB. [12]
Challenge to FERC’s approval of the Regional Energy Access Expansion pipeline (2024)
In 2024, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network joined a coalition of environmental organizations, an affected landowner, and several state Attorneys General in challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) approval of the Regional Energy Access Expansion (REAE) pipeline. The petitioners argued that FERC’s review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) did not adequately assess climate impacts or demonstrate a public need for the project. [13]
In a unanimous decision, the United States Court of Appeals vacated FERC’s orders authorizing the project and remanded the matter to the agency for further review. [13]
Delaware River Watershed Frack Ban Defense (2025)
In 2025, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network responded to renewed political efforts to weaken or overturn the Delaware River Basin Commission’s (DRBC) permanent ban on hydraulic fracturing within the watershed. Reports indicated that pro‑fracking Pennsylvania legislators had met with the federal Environmental Protection Agency administrator, raising concerns that federal officials might seek to challenge the DRBC’s authority to maintain the ban. [14] Environmental organizations, including DRN, publicly reaffirmed their support for the DRBC’s fracking prohibition and launched initiatives to defend the watershed from potential federal intervention. [15] Coalition partners emphasized that previous attempts by industry groups, landowners, and state legislators to overturn the ban had been dismissed by the courts, and advocacy groups launched a coordinated campaign to defend the DRBC’s authority. [16]
Gibbstown LNG export terminal litigation (2025)
In 2025, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey challenging the Delaware River Basin Commission’s (DRBC) decision to grant a second extension for the proposed Gibbstown Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Export Terminal project in Gloucester County, New Jersey. The organization argued that the extension violated the DRBC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, which allow only one extension of a Section 3.8 approval and require that a project remain materially unchanged and be actively pursued by the applicant. [17]
The proposed terminal, originally approved in 2019 and upheld by the DRBC in 2020 following an administrative appeal brought by DRN, has not been constructed. The site remains subject to seasonal restrictions on in‑water work to protect endangered Atlantic sturgeon, and portions of the surrounding area are undergoing long‑term remediation for historic industrial contamination. [18]
Upgraded Water Quality Standards for the Delaware Estuary (2025)
In September 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized updated water quality standards for a 38‑mile stretch of the Delaware River between Philadelphia, Camden, and Wilmington. The rule raises dissolved oxygen requirements in this section of the river and is intended to improve aquatic habitat conditions, particularly for oxygen‑sensitive species such as the endangered Atlantic sturgeon. The EPA issued the new standards following litigation brought under the Clean Water Act by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network and other environmental groups, which argued that existing criteria did not adequately protect fish populations. Once implemented through permitting decisions, the standards will require wastewater treatment facilities discharging into the river to meet higher oxygen thresholds, including through reductions in ammonia levels. Federal and academic analyses cited in the rulemaking process noted that improved oxygen conditions could support long‑term recovery of fish species in the estuary. [19]
PFAS Regulation and Cleanup (2025)
Per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals known for their persistence in the environment and potential health impacts. DRN identified PFAS contamination in the Delaware River watershed in the early 2010s after collecting tap water samples in Deepwater, New Jersey, near a DuPont manufacturing facility. State investigations and regulatory actions followed, contributing to New Jersey’s adoption of drinking water standards for PFAS compounds. In 2025, New Jersey reached a proposed $2 billion settlement with DuPont‑related companies to address PFAS contamination at multiple sites across the state. [20]
DRN also pursued PFAS regulation in Pennsylvania and Delaware. In 2017, the organization petitioned the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board to establish a drinking water standard for PFOA, leading to the eventual adoption of maximum contaminant levels for PFOA and PFOS after litigation and public pressure. [21] Delaware enacted legislation in 2025 requiring PFAS monitoring and public reporting for public water systems, with enforcement of federal standards beginning in 2029. [22]
Leadership and Staff
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network is led by the Delaware Riverkeeper, a position currently held by environmental attorney Maya K. van Rossum. [26] The Delaware Riverkeeper serves as the organization’s chief advocate, representing the river and its communities in regulatory proceedings, public forums, and legal actions. The organization includes a multidisciplinary staff of approximately 20 members, including scientists, attorneys, technical experts, community organizers, and environmental advocates who support its programs and initiatives. [27] DRN’s leadership structure emphasizes legal advocacy, scientific research, and community engagement, with senior roles such as a Deputy Director, Senior Attorneys, a Chief Innovation Officer, and program directors overseeing areas including habitat restoration, watershed monitoring, and community outreach. [28]
