GUILFORD – Chenango County Natural Gas Consultant Steven Palmatier give a presentation to the Guilford Town Board Wednesday night, offering suggestions on what the town could do to prepare should shale gas drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing be permitted in the township. Currently, there are landowners in Guilford who have signed leases with developers, who, in turn, are waiting for state’s new permitting regulations to be released.

Any impacts from any future hydrofracking in Guilford would correlate with the velocity of natural gas development, Palmatier said. The pace will most likely be slow because the DEC works at a slow pace, he added. Emergency services have initially seen increased activities in other areas that were unprepared for drilling, such as in Pennsylvania, but Palmatier said he feels confident Chenango County emergency responders are ready.

“We have been the first county to require the drilling companies to have a 911 address for their drill sites,” he said, adding that the county also requires companies to provide well site maps and establish clear lines of communication.

Palmatier presented a list of things he would advise Guilford town officials to do in preparation. He stressed the importance of being aware of and understanding the compulsory integration law. Being up to speed on compulsory integration is especially important for the Town of Guilford because it owns about 120 acres, including land adjacent to the town hall, that could itself be subject to the law.