Some Southern Chenango municipalities have yet to weigh in on drilling
NORWICH - Three of the 11 townships where the subsurface Marcellus Shale formation is deep enough to safely drill in Chenango County have yet to signal whether or not they are open to the business of harvesting natural gas: Norwich, McDonough and Smithville.
The county, itself, and area villages may weigh in on the matter, but have yet to do so. Members of the Oxford Village Planning Board may be considering some sort of decision on natural gas drilling based on their invitation to the village and town boards and the Oxford Town Planning Board to an upcoming workshop on the subject. On Wednesday, the Oxford Town Board became the latest to entertain a motion to adopt a moratorium on drilling, but didn’t.
The Cuomo administration said in late spring that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation would limit drilling permits to the deepest areas of the Marcellus Shale rock formation, and only in towns that agree to it. The deepest areas are in the southwest New York regions of Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Steuben and Tioga counties.
The DEC’s revised permitting rules on high volume hydraulic fracturing, an extraction method that employs water, sand, and chemicals, are widely expected to receive final approval later this summer.
Fred J. Heisler, supervisor of Smithville, said his board has hosted experts to speak on various aspects of hydraulic fracturing and also recently toured a well site in Towanda, Penn. Interested citizens on both sides of the issue joined elected officials on the trip. “We are diligently studying ... trying to get the board up to speed,” he said.
McDonough officials have also hosted an informational session. Supervisor Arrington Canor said his town was divided on the matter, but the board has decided to remain neutral, and not pass a resolution or write a letter indicating that the town is either for or against drilling.
Town of Norwich Supervisor David C. Law said his board is considering having an open meeting sometime next month where constituents can express their opinions.
“We are very open about it. We want to see the economy grow, but we don’t want to loose our greatest resource, our water,” Law said. “We are being very cautious and very conservative about it. We want to do the right thing for everyone.”
The county, itself, and area villages may weigh in on the matter, but have yet to do so. Members of the Oxford Village Planning Board may be considering some sort of decision on natural gas drilling based on their invitation to the village and town boards and the Oxford Town Planning Board to an upcoming workshop on the subject. On Wednesday, the Oxford Town Board became the latest to entertain a motion to adopt a moratorium on drilling, but didn’t.
The Cuomo administration said in late spring that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation would limit drilling permits to the deepest areas of the Marcellus Shale rock formation, and only in towns that agree to it. The deepest areas are in the southwest New York regions of Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Steuben and Tioga counties.
The DEC’s revised permitting rules on high volume hydraulic fracturing, an extraction method that employs water, sand, and chemicals, are widely expected to receive final approval later this summer.
Fred J. Heisler, supervisor of Smithville, said his board has hosted experts to speak on various aspects of hydraulic fracturing and also recently toured a well site in Towanda, Penn. Interested citizens on both sides of the issue joined elected officials on the trip. “We are diligently studying ... trying to get the board up to speed,” he said.
McDonough officials have also hosted an informational session. Supervisor Arrington Canor said his town was divided on the matter, but the board has decided to remain neutral, and not pass a resolution or write a letter indicating that the town is either for or against drilling.
Town of Norwich Supervisor David C. Law said his board is considering having an open meeting sometime next month where constituents can express their opinions.
“We are very open about it. We want to see the economy grow, but we don’t want to loose our greatest resource, our water,” Law said. “We are being very cautious and very conservative about it. We want to do the right thing for everyone.”
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