Advocates
for Morris
PO
Box 177
Morris
NY 13808
(onceyouknow.morris@gmail.com)
September
2, 2014
Town
and Village of Morris
Main
Street
Morris
NY 13808
Town
Supervisor Lynn Joy
Board
Member Royce Webster
Board
Member Dave Johnson
Board
Member William Pickens
Board
Member Marilyn Roveland
Highway
Superintendent Jonathan Foote
Village
of Morris Mayor Michael Newell
Copy
to: Natural Resources Defense Council,
Attorneys Kate Sinding and Jon Krois
Community
Environmental Defense Council, Attorneys David & Helen Slottje
Otsego
2000, Board Chairman Nicole Dillingham & Executive Director Ellen Pope
Oneonta Daily Star, Editor Sam Pollak
The Freeman’s Journal /Hometown Oneonta,
Editor Jim Kevlin
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
For
more than five years, the Advocates for Morris have presented you with volumes
of evidence and reports on fracking – information critical to your
decision-making concerning the future of our community. We now submit for your review copies of a
July 2014 report entitled Compendium of
Scientific, Medical, and Media Findings Demonstrating Risks and Harms of
Fracking (Unconventional Gas and Oil Extraction), prepared by Concerned Health Professionals of New York. We urge you to carefully examine these reports.
The
Concerned Health Professionals of New York (“CHPNY”) is an initiative by health
professionals, scientists and medical organizations dedicated to scientifically
evaluating the impacts of fracking on public health and safety. CHPNY provides educational resources and
works to ensure that careful consideration of the science and health impacts
are at the forefront of the fracking debate.
This fully-referenced Compendium
and related links may be accessed online at the following site: http://concernedhealthny.org/compendium/.
These
copies of the Compendium have been prepared for your review by Otsego 2000. Otsego 2000 is an environmental stewardship organization
working to protect the Otsego region’s rural and agricultural landscapes. They focus on protecting Otsego from
inappropriate development, sprawl, and large-scale industrialization that would
negatively affect air, water, and soil quality, as well as disrupt its rural,
agricultural character and quality of life.
We
urge you to consider the information, reports and data in this Compendium. The Compendium is comprehensive, addressing: air
pollution; water contamination; engineering problems; radioactive releases; occupational
health and safety hazards; noise pollution, light pollution and stress; earthquake
and seismic activity; oil and gas wells as pathways for gas and fluid
migration; flood risks; threats to agriculture and soil quality; threats to the
climate; increased crime rates; and threats to neighbors’ property values and mortgages.
It also reports on industry’s inaccurate
job claims, inflated estimates of reserves and their profitability and the
failure to disclosure serious risks to investors. CHPNY concludes by calling, as the Advocates
for Morris have recommended for years, for a cautious approach involving more study
and greater transparency.
Unfortunately,
the Morris Town Board has not responded to these calls. Beginning as early as 2009, you, as our elected
officials, have heard the grave concerns your constituents and neighbors have
about fracking. The Advocates for Morris
have made repeated appeals, in writing and in person, urging you to address
these concerns. In 2011, town officials were
presented with the results of a town-wide petition calling for a ban or
moratorium on fracking in Morris. Shortly
thereafter, however, the newly-created gas drilling advisory committee was disbanded
by the town board.
Town
officials also declined offers of pro bono legal assistance from the Community
Environmental Defense Coalition (“CEDC”) attorney David Slottje. CEDC believes that citizens have a right to insist that the
community’s interests come before shareholder’s profits, and that communities
have the right to refuse to allow industry to pollute our common water, air and
natural resources. Further, CEDC believes that when risk extends beyond a
property owner’s borders, the entire community has a right to decide whether it
is willing to accept those risks. If the community is not willing to accept the
risks, then the community has the right to refuse to allow the risky use to
proceed unless and until all risk is confined to the property owner alone.
The Advocates for Morris agree with
CEDC that our community’s health needs to come first. We encourage you to read
more at: http://www.cedclaw.org/home-rule-fracking#sthash.p0MjcYB5.dpuf.
In
2013, you were presented with the results of a town-wide opinion poll that
showed that an overwhelming majority--70%--of
the 449 respondents oppose fracking. Survey
responses were tabulated and remain on file with the Natural Resources Defense
Council (“NRDC”). This strong opposition
to fracking has gone unaddressed.
To
date, Morris town officials have also not responded to NRDC’s invitation to
meet with members of the town board.
There
are growing numbers of Morris citizens, your neighbors and constituents, who
believe that the Board is failing to protect the community and provide for the
safety and welfare of the people. On
their behalf, we urge you to review the Compendium we are providing and to act
to protect Morris from the risks of fracking.
Unless trust can be restored, the people will hold accountable those who
fail to protect the community.
Sincerely,
ADVOCATES FOR MORRIS
Leadership Group
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