CHENANGO COUNTY – Now that plans to build the 124-mile long Constitution Pipeline have been shot down by the New York State DEC, Chenango County leaders want to know what Gov. Andrew Cuomo is going do to help the economy in and around the area.

The Chenango Planning and Development Committee this week sought to draft a letter to the governor’s office seeking proposals of an alternate plan to bolster the economy. Committee members say the state’s decision not to permit construction of the Constitution Pipeline puts a burden on the economy by denying homeowners and businesses access to natural gas for low-cost energy.

The Constitution Pipeline is a natural gas delivery project that’s proposed to run from Susquehanna County, Penn. to the Town of Wright in Schoharie County, NY. The pipeline would pass through the Chenango County towns of Afton and Bainbridge, providing natural gas to homes and commercial districts throughout those areas.

The Chenango County Board of Supervisors threw their support behind the project after passing a resolution in favor of it back in December. However, despite the irrefutable economic impact that local leaders say it would have on the area, the project was stalled by the DEC in April.

According to the DEC, the environmentally harmful implications of the project outweigh the economic benefits. But Constitution says the DEC’s claims are a fallacy, and local officials seem to agree.