Enfield residents speak out on hydrofracking_11-30-11

Shaleshock Media : Enfield_11-30-11.

1-Intro: Enfield Residents Speak Out on hydrofrackingThursday, December 01, 2011 1:02 AM

Part 1 of 3 Enfield Board Seeks Input on Fracking Ban The Enfield Town Board heard residents’ opinions about enacting a ban on hydrofracking at a public meeting on Thursday, November 30, 2011 at the Enfield Elementary School. Over 200 showed up and 74 spoke. The meeting was called by the board to hear from residents on all sides regarding a ban or moratorium, and related issues such as road and aquifer protection. Only two spoke in opposition to a ban. This follows a November 17th meeting at which attorneys strongly recommended that the Town enact a ban or a moratorium before the State begins issuing drilling permits, perhaps as soon as early in 2012. According to Town attorney Guy Krogh and Community Environmental Defense Council attorney David Slottje, the Town faces both financial and environmental risks if the Board fails to act quickly. A ban would offer time to enact local laws protecting the Town’s highways, to map the aquifer that supplies water to most of the residents, to identify other critical natural areas, and to await the results of numerous scientific studies now underway to investigate health and safety concerns. Once permits are issued, the attorneys warned, the Town could not enact a ban or moratorium without exposure to gas company lawsuits seeking compensation for lost revenues, perhaps totaling millions of dollars. A coalition of Enfield citizens has presented the Town Board with a petition bearing the signatures of nearly 900 residents and landowners urging the Board to ban high volume slickwater hydraulic fracturing. Although 44% of the land in Enfield is under lease to the gas companies, 28 large landowners and leaseholders were among those who signed the petition. At the Board’s last two meetings, numerous residents spoke about potential adverse impacts on agriculture, public health, the environment, and the rural nature of the Town. Currently in New York State 76 municipalities are moving toward or have enacted bans or moratoria. Locally bans are already in place in Danby, Dryden, Ithaca, and Ulysses, and under consideration in Caroline where candidates supporting a ban won resounding victories in the November elections.Media files Shaleshock-1IntroEnfieldResidentsSpeakOutOnHydrofracking368.mp3 (MP3 Format Sound, 2.1 MB) Shaleshock-1IntroEnfieldResidentsSpeakOutOnHydrofracking438.mov (QuickTime Movie, 37.3 MB) Shaleshock-1IntroEnfieldResidentsSpeakOutOnHydrofracking756.mp4 (MP4 Video, 18.9 MB) Shaleshock-1IntroEnfieldResidentsSpeakOutOnHydrofracking882.m4v (MP4 Video, 23.7 MB)2-Speakers 1-30: Enfield Residents Speak Out on hydrofrackingThursday, December 01, 2011 1:20 AM

Part 2 of 3 Enfield Board Seeks Input on Fracking Ban. Video by Cris McConkey. The Enfield Town Board heard residents’ opinions about enacting a ban on hydrofracking at a public meeting on Thursday, November 30, 2011 at the Enfield Elementary School. Over 200 showed up and 74 spoke. The meeting was called by the board to hear from residents on all sides regarding a ban or moratorium, and related issues such as road and aquifer protection. Only two spoke in opposition to a ban. This follows a November 17th meeting at which attorneys strongly recommended that the Town enact a ban or a moratorium before the State begins issuing drilling permits, perhaps as soon as early in 2012. According to Town attorney Guy Krogh and Community Environmental Defense Council attorney David Slottje, the Town faces both financial and environmental risks if the Board fails to act quickly. A ban would offer time to enact local laws protecting the Town’s highways, to map the aquifer that supplies water to most of the residents, to identify other critical natural areas, and to await the results of numerous scientific studies now underway to investigate health and safety concerns. Once permits are issued, the attorneys warned, the Town could not enact a ban or moratorium without exposure to gas company lawsuits seeking compensation for lost revenues, perhaps totaling millions of dollars. A coalition of Enfield citizens has presented the Town Board with a petition bearing the signatures of nearly 900 residents and landowners urging the Board to ban high volume slickwater hydraulic fracturing. Although 44% of the land in Enfield is under lease to the gas companies, 28 large landowners and leaseholders were among those who signed the petition. At the Board’s last two meetings, numerous residents spoke about potential adverse impacts on agriculture, public health, the environment, and the rural nature of the Town. Currently in New York State 76 municipalities are moving toward or have enacted bans or moratoria. Locally bans are already in place in Danby, Dryden, Ithaca, and Ulysses, and under consideration in Caroline where candidates supporting a ban won resounding victories in the November elections.Media files Shaleshock-2Speakers130EnfieldResidentsSpeakOutOnHydrofracking118.mp3 (MP3 Format Sound, 42.6 MB) Shaleshock-2Speakers130EnfieldResidentsSpeakOutOnHydrofracking423.mov (QuickTime Movie, 731 MB) Shaleshock-2Speakers130EnfieldResidentsSpeakOutOnHydrofracking910.mp4 (MP4 Video, 266 MB) Shaleshock-2Speakers130EnfieldResidentsSpeakOutOnHydrofracking455.m4v (MP4 Video, 347 MB)3-Speakers 31-74: Enfield Residents Speak Out on hydrofrackingThursday, December 01, 2011 1:20 AM

Part 1 of 3 Enfield Board Seeks Input on Fracking Ban. Video by Cris McConkey. The Enfield Town Board heard residents’ opinions about enacting a ban on hydrofracking at a public meeting on Thursday, November 30, 2011 at the Enfield Elementary School. Over 200 showed up and 74 spoke. The meeting was called by the board to hear from residents on all sides regarding a ban or moratorium, and related issues such as road and aquifer protection. Only two spoke in opposition to a ban. This follows a November 17th meeting at which attorneys strongly recommended that the Town enact a ban or a moratorium before the State begins issuing drilling permits, perhaps as soon as early in 2012. According to Town attorney Guy Krogh and Community Environmental Defense Council attorney David Slottje, the Town faces both financial and environmental risks if the Board fails to act quickly. A ban would offer time to enact local laws protecting the Town’s highways, to map the aquifer that supplies water to most of the residents, to identify other critical natural areas, and to await the results of numerous scientific studies now underway to investigate health and safety concerns. Once permits are issued, the attorneys warned, the Town could not enact a ban or moratorium without exposure to gas company lawsuits seeking compensation for lost revenues, perhaps totaling millions of dollars. A coalition of Enfield citizens has presented the Town Board with a petition bearing the signatures of nearly 900 residents and landowners urging the Board to ban high volume slickwater hydraulic fracturing. Although 44% of the land in Enfield is under lease to the gas companies, 28 large landowners and leaseholders were among those who signed the petition. At the Board’s last two meetings, numerous residents spoke about potential adverse impacts on agriculture, public health, the environment, and the rural nature of the Town. Currently in New York State 76 municipalities are moving toward or have enacted bans or moratoria. Locally bans are already in place in Danby, Dryden, Ithaca, and Ulysses, and under consideration in Caroline where candidates supporting a ban won resounding victories in the November elections.Media files Shaleshock-3Speakers3174EnfieldResidentsSpeakOutOnHydrofracking731.mp3 (MP3 Format Sound, 44.4 MB) Shaleshock-3Speakers3174EnfieldResidentsSpeakOutOnHydrofracking423.mov (QuickTime Movie, 766 MB) Shaleshock-3Speakers3174EnfieldResidentsSpeakOutOnHydrofracking248.mp4 (MP4 Video, 290 MB) Shaleshock-3Speakers3174EnfieldResidentsSpeakOutOnHydrofracking238.m4v (MP4 Video, 377 MB)