Jake Palmateer
Staff Writer
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COOPERSTOWN _ Debate over natural gas drilling raged inside and outside the Otsego County Courthouse on Wednesday during a special meeting of the county Board of Representatives.
The 6 p.m. meeting, called by Chairman Sam Dubben, RMiddlefield, was a response to an overflow crowd at a board meeting earlier this month and was intended to allow the board to hear public comments related to drilling.
A rally of gas-drilling opponents planned for 4:30 p.m. in nearby Lakefront Park did not last long. A smaller contingent of pro-drilling advocates had gathered around the courthouse entrance at the same time to ensure they got seats in the large upstairs courtroom.
More than 200 drilling opponents, led by a drummer boy, waved banners and signs as they marched up Pioneer Street to Main Street and then to the courthouse chanting, “No drill, no spill.” Curious tourists took notice.
At the courthouse, about 50 pro-drilling advocates carried their signs.
It was there where tempers flared and curses were thrown between a handful of people on both sides of the divisive issue. Energy companies are eager to tap into the gas-rich Marcellus shale formation deep underground.
State Department of Environmental Conservation regulations that would govern horizontal drilling and hydrofracking, techniques the industry uses to extract gas, are expected to be finalized later this year, potentially paving the way for widespread drilling in the region.
Thousands of landowners in the region have already signed leases with gas companies. But drilling opponents say they are concerned the water and chemical solution used in hydrofracking could poison water sources; heavy truck traffic will destroy local roads; and emissions from the production will contaminate the air.
Supporters of drilling say the cash flow will help the regional economy; wean the country off foreign energy sources; and provide a means to bridge the gap between dirtier fossil fuels and the development of renewable energy sources.
Then there are those who haven’t made up their mind. “I am not for. I am not against,” Tier French of Cooperstown said. “The more I know, the more informed I am. I came for me, no one else.”
She was second in line at the courthouse.
French said she was concerned about her drinking water, but understands farmers are having hard times and revenue from drilling could help them.
Sheriff’s deputies and court officers on a five-person security detail said they would allow the first 130 people in line into the courtroom and the rest could wait in the hallway. Inside, 10 members of the Otsego County Board of Representatives gathered, introduced themselves and remained silent, listening to each speaker, who had three minutes. The meeting did not slip into chaos, but there were sharp exchanges and passionate pleas.
The BP oil spill, conditions in Dimock, Pa., related to drilling and lack of faith in the Department of Environmental Conservation were invoked by opponents several times. The struggling economy, faith in the DEC and the need for energy was a common theme among drilling supporters.
“The more informed I got, the more scared I got,” Butternuts resident Theresa Winchester said.
Winchester said she visited Dimock to see the conditions there herself.
“I have not been the same,” she said. “I saw 14 families without water. If you think the DEC is here to protect our environment, then you believe in Santa Claus.”
Those who claim there have been no problems in 60 years of hydrofracking are either “stupid or lying,” she continued.
“Theresa, I must be stupid and I guess I believe in Santa Claus,” Dick Downey of the Unatego Area Landowners Association said.
Calling Dimock an anomaly, Downey said 35,000 fracking jobs are being done monthly around the country.
“(DEC Commissioner Pete) Grannis has done his job, please respect the process,” Downey said.
Steve Barton, a farmer from Schenevus and member of the Tri-Towns Landowners Coalition, presented the board with specific resolutions the group wants adopted: A requirement that all well-drilling operations be done with a closedloop system without the use of holding or mixing ponds, and a resolution that calls on gas drillers to use as much horizontal drilling as possible to minimize the surface imprint of drilling operations.
Lou Allstadt of Cooperstown, a former executive vice president of Mobil, said the risks of drilling are significant and said he wanted to see the county board take a more active role in regulation of gas wells.
“When I first got involved, I thought it might be possible to find a middle ground,” Allstadt said.
But Allstadt said he now supports a state moratorium. Other speakers asked the board to pass a resolution supporting a state moratorium. Still others said they want drilling banned in Otsego County.
