The Delaware River Basin Commission on Wednesday voted to approve a measure that will permanently ban natural gas drilling and fracking in the Delaware River and its tributaries, according to the Associated Press.

The five-member commission is made up of representatives from New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and the federal government. The group oversees water quality in the Delaware River, which supplies Philadelphia and half of New York City with drinking water.

New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware voted yes on the ban, New Jersey abstained from voting and the federal government voted no. This vote approved initial measures as part of a lengthy process to ban drilling and fracking.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has led to a massive influx in oil and shale gas production in the U.S. in recent years. The approved resolution said, "fracking presents risks, vulnerabilities and impacts to surface and ground water resources across the country," AP reported.

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