HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR!

WISHING YOU AND YOURS THE HAPPIEST OF HOLIDAYS AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR!

PLEASE COME AND JOIN IN THE WORK OF ADVOCATES FOR MORRIS IN 2012.

The Unreasonable Man

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world.

The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.

Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

George Bernard Shaw, Maxims for Revolutionists

VOTE NOVEMBER 8 TO PROTECT MORRIS

Marilyn Roveland, Town Supervisor
Dawn Sieck, Town Council
Bob Thomas, Town Council

YOUR CHOICE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPEN GOVERNMENT!

• Maintain the rural and historic character of Morris
• Protect our clean drinking water and clean air
• Keep our night skies free of light pollution
• Provide a safe environment for our children
• Continue low crime rates
• Preserve pristine valley vistas
• Ban heavy industry, including gas drilling and related extraction activities

AND VOTE FOR TERESA WINCHESTER FOR OTSEGO COUNTY BOARD OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 2 (Morris, Pittsfield and Butternuts)

Using Local Laws to Protect Health, Safety and Community Assets

Community Forum
Friday, October 21 7-9 pm
Morris Central School


Using Local Laws to Protect Health, Safety & Community Assets-- Safeguarding Communities in the Face of Industrial-scale Gas Drilling


Featuring Attorneys Helen and David Slottje
with guest Joanne Cipolla-Dennis
and panel Q&A moderator Bob Eklund


*****

Sponsored by Advocates for Morris, Concerned Burlington Neighbors, Friends of Butternuts, New Lisbon Neighbors, Protect Laurens and Protect Pittsfield pro-ban organizations, and the Butternut Valley Alliance
& Otsego 2000



For info contact onceyouknow.morris@gmail.com

250 doctors and other health professional say the DEC's draft on hydraulic fracturing doesn't do enough

Letter criticizes DEC hydrofracking draft

NEW YORK STATE -- More than 250 doctors and other health professionals say the DEC's draft on hydraulic fracturing doesn't do enough to address the health issues surrounding the gas drilling method.

In a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo, the doctors are calling for a comprehensive human health study in the proposal to permit deep natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale region of New York. The letter also says the state health department has declined to do the assessment on the grounds it wouldn't provide significant new information not already being covered.

The doctors claim growing evidence from industrial gas development in other states shows worsening health among people living near gas wells, compressor stations and waste pits.

The Cuomo administration did not immediately reply to requests for comment Wednesday.

read more about it at the link below

http://capitalregion.ynn.com/content/top_stories/559417/letter-criticizes-dec-hydrofracking-draft/

We Have a Responsibility to Protect Resources Vital to Human Survival

Excerpt from Jerusalem 'NY residents' letters calling for a ban on hydrofracking:

“We have a responsibility to protect resources vital to human survival. We require water to maintain life and if we are not vigilant in maintaining clean water, we are accountable to future generations. The greed of the gas companies -- to exploit the natural gas resources for huge profits at the expense of rural cultures and economies -- is unconscionable.”

Town of Morris, Natural Gas Forum - Aug 18th Morris Central School Auditorium

Click on the link just below to

Read the story and watch the video clips produced by WKTV in Utica

or click on the image to enlarge it.

Imagine fracking the Otsego County Fair

Here's a satellite view of the fairgrounds as seen on maps.google.com.

Put a fracking pad on the fair grounds - like the one on the shore of Beaver Run Reservoir in Pennsylvania. A few buildings would have to go -- actually all of them.

Of course you will won't get much gas unless you do that high volume hydrofracking with well bores going out in 8 directions from the well pad. Where would approximately 4,000 foot horizontal runs take you? The scale of the map had to be changed to show this. The possible drilling path is shown in red.

Here's a satellite view of the fairgrounds as seen on maps.google.com.

Now you won't get very much gas out of these wells unless you frack them. Let's say 8 million gallons per frack times 8 wells. 8 x 8 million = 64 million gallons. That's about 161 acres covered with water one foot deep. Of course it is not just water that is used for fracking. A number of chemicals some named and some not named are mixed with the water along with some sand before fracking.

Is this scenario even imaginable?

Well if you live in the New York City or City of Syracuse watershed you don't need to lose any sleep over it because the NY DEC has you covered. If you live outside of that area then the best chance you have is to get your town board to adopt some land use regulations that will keep out heavy industry, including high volume slick water horizontally hydrofracking.

Advocates for Springfield Ban on Heavy Industry

ADVOCATES FOR SPRINGFIELD

P.O. Box 25

Springfield Center, New York 13468

Update #57

July 23, 2011

Otsego Lake Towns Act to Protect Area from Heavy Industry

Since our last Update, Springfield has enacted a local law that forbids heavy industry (which by definition in the law includes gas drilling). This new law, based upon the police powers of a town to protect the health, safety and welfare of its citizens, clearly states that heavy industry is in conflict with the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. The law goes on to note that the town’s geology of limestone bedrock is fragile and heavy industry may create serious risks to our water supplies. Our unconsolidated aquifers are susceptible to contamination, and the rural character of the town (including its reliance on agriculture) should be protected. The presence of heavy industry will put at risk our roads and our historic landscapes. For these and other reasons, the Town Board enacted this new law which states that “it shall be unlawful for any person to conduct any new “Heavy Industry” …within the Town of Springfield.”

By enacting this local law, Springfield joins a growing list of towns in the Marcellus shale region that are taking the initiative to protect their areas. In Otsego County, the towns of Otsego and Middlefield have amended their zoning ordinances to exclude heavy industry. Cherry Valley recently adopted a new zoning law with a similar provision. Other towns are considering taking action too.

These laws may be challenged by the gas industry or by property owners who have leased their land to drillers. In New York State, land use decisions are typically left in the hands of municipalities and under the State’s constitution, Home Rule is a protected right. However, under the State’s Environmental Conservation Law, NYS has exercised a preemptive power to supersede local laws in order to allow for development of certain natural resources such as gas and oil.

Those towns that have enacted local laws forbidding heavy industry can anticipate legal challenges. It is our belief, however, that such challenges will not prevail. A parallel challenge of the State’s Mine Reclamation Law was unsuccessful about fifteen years ago, and the MRL was changed based upon the courts’ ruling.

Candidates Against Drilling

Anti-fracking Candidates for Otsego County

Otsego
County Board of Representatives:

District 2 - Butternuts, Morris, Pittsfield
Teresa Winchester
465 Chicken Farm Rd.
Otego, NY 13825
(607) 441-0435
Otsego County Representative (incumbent opponent James Powers)
Make checks payable to Friends of Teresa Winchester

District 4 - Town of Oneonta
Richard Murphy
35 Ceperley Ave
Oneonta, NY 13820
Otsego County Representative (incumbent)
Make checks payable to Friends of Rich Murphy.

District 5 - Towns of New Lisbon, Hartwick, Milford
Barbara Monroe
319 Bliss Gulf Rd.
Oneonta, N.Y. 13820
Otsego County Representative (open seat)
Make checks payable to Friends of Barbara Monroe

District 7 - Middlefield, Roseboom, Cherry Valley
Beth Rosenthal
500 County Hwy 50
Cherry Valley NY 13320
Otsego County Reprensentative (open seat)
Make checks payable to Beth Rosenthal; add memo: campaign 2011

District 8 - Town of Otsego
John Kosmer
179 Day Rd
Fly Creek, NY 13337
607 547 2344
Otsego County Representative (incombent opponent: James Johnson)
Make checks payable to: John Kosmer


Candidates running for town offices:

Town of Milford, Town Supervisor
Chris Harmon
47 Sunset Blvd.
Oneonta, NY 13820
Checks can be made to Friends of Chris Harmon

Town of Otsego, Town Board
Bennett Sandler
PO Box 179
Fly Creek, NY 13337
Make checks payable to Friends of Bennett Sandler

Other anti-fracking candidates running for town offices :

Town of Morris, Supervisor
Marilyn Roveland

Town of Otsego, Town Board
Julie Huntsman
2151 County Highway 26
Fly Creek, NY 13337
Make checks payable to Julie Huntsman; add memo: campaign support

Town Supervisor, Town of Westford
Steve Zerby
PO Box 7
Westford, NY 13488
Make checks payable to Steve Zerby

More anti-fracking candidates
running for various town offices, but they are also endorsed by

Town of Butternuts: Michele Farwell, Heather Covington, Mark Harvey
Town of Hartwick: Keith Parr
Town of Milford: Marcia Membrino
Town of Morris: Bob Thomas, Dawn Sieck
Town of Plainfield: Alanna Rose
Town of New Lisbon: Bob Eklund
Town of Westford: Steve Hatfield, Karen Wyckoff
Town of Unadilla: Ed Gross