Cortland News
Cortland County-
Elected Officials to Protect New York. Do a search to find the 18 Cortland County officials who have signed on and then contact those who have not to done so.
Rallies
Senator Seward’s Office May 30, 2012
Public Opinion
Lawrence Ron Jones – Homer News -‘Current Status of Natural Gas Development in the Town of Homer.’ Sept. 13, 2012.
Poll Sponsored by Gas Drilling Awareness for Cortland Co. (GDACC) and Moving in Congregations, Acting in Hope (MICAH) Concludes that Home Rule Legislation is needed to Protect towns right to self-determination.
Cover Letter – Cortland County, NY.doc
Summary Results- Cortland County – December 17-18, 2011
Comment on a similar poll by same polling firm
News Coverage:
Poll shows opposition to hydrofracking in Cortland County – YNN, Your News Now.
New poll shows majority of Cortland County opposes fracking : News : CNYcentral.com.
Oldies 101.5 – Local News.New Poll Says 58% of Cortland County Residents are Opposed to Fracking
Municipal Laws & Regulations Pertinent to Gas Drilling:
- Cortland Bans Fracking Flowback water from Municipal Treatment Plant 9/20/11
- Cortland Aquifer Protection Zoning Overlay District
- Cortlandville Town Board Adopts Moratorium Resolution Aug. 4, 2010 Resolution PL4.13958282010[1]
- Virgil, NY Aquifer Protection Law 2010
- Virgil, NY Road Protection 2010
- Willet Town Board wants gas drilling to proceed
Cortland County Municipalities’ Land Use Laws in place
Cortland Standard Editorials/News Coverage
- Gas Industry Plans to Challenge Towns’ Zoning Prtections. Dryden board to vote on limits tonight. Cortland Standard, Aug. 2, 2011
- Landowners dispute gas lease extensions. Cortland Standard May 18, 2010
- Residents With Expiring Leases Fight Extensions–Cortland Standard Feb. 22, 2011
- Gas drilling leases explained to crowd. Cortland Standard Feb. 28, 2011
- CS Coverage of Siegel/Ingraffea Debate Feb. 21, 2011
- Cortland Towns Apply for Farmland Protection CS 12/2/10
- Panels will explore gas drilling impacts County subcommittees will focus on roads, public safety, housing, environment, economy. http://www.cortlandstandard.net/articles/11052010n.html
- Cortland Standard Editorial on Drilling in State Forests. Nov. 6, 2010
- What’s in It? Aug. 19, 2010
- Willet Town Board Wants Gas Drilling to Proceed Aug. 19, 2010
- Gas Trouble, Aug. 6, 2010
- Support for Gas Drilling Moratorium CS 2-7-10 moratorium
- Cortland City Acts to Protect Water. Cortland Standard editorial 7/7/10 CS 2-7-10 Cortland water
- Cortland Common Council Resolution on Hydrofracking
- Not another nuke dump deal? Cortland Standard editorial 4-26-10
- Cortland Gas Lease Map Coverage. Sept. 9, 2010
- Cortland Standard May 1, 2007 on Gas Exploration in Cortland Co.
Cortland Common Council Action:
- Cortland Council July 6, 2010 Resolutions re sale of water for hydrofracking , request for Governor Paterson to withdraw the SGEIS, and formation of a Committee to define policy to protect the city’s water supply. Text of Documents adopted at the July 6, 2010 Common Council Meeting are available on the city website: http://www.cortland.org/city/council/2010-07-06.htm
Cortland County Legislature Action:
Cortland County Road Preservation Agreement 2011 http://www.cortland-co.org/Legislature/Road%20Preservation.pdf
Cortland County Legislature Gas Drilling Taskforce: Cortland County Natural Gas Task Force Reviewing New Drilling Rules Last Edited: 2011-10-20 11:23:47 Story ID: 4379. Oldies 101.5 – Local News.
July 28, 2011- the Cortland County legislature passed a resolution asking the DEC to establish at minimum a 90 day comment period on the SGEIS.
- The Cortland County Agriculture, Planning and Environment Committee sends comments to the DEC on the draft SGEIS on gas drilling. (12/09) Cortland County DSGEIS comments (12/09)
Cortland County Agency Comments
Cortland Co. Planning Dept. Comments: Cortland County Planing. Dept Draft Supplemental Generic EIS 1
Cortland County Dept. of Health Comments: https://docs.google.com/file/d/1M3lCkXvtxraxrM8ZYWBKGDVji7A1yPhB5QhCb5prpQ-wXqfHWnDA3oOY94yh/edit?pli=1
Town of Freetown Comments:Freetown Planning Board SGEIS Final Comments
Cortland County Landfill Disposition
The public will have a chance to review the pros and cons of selling, leasing or expanding the Cortland County landfill at a public hearing set for 5 pm Dec. 6 at the County Office Building auditorium. A Cortland Standard editorial (Oct. 25, 2010, p.5) lists some of the things the citizens and the county government should consider in making this decision including control, truck traffic, liability and cost containment. A further consideration is what materials might be brought to the landfill now that industrial gas drilling is a reality in PA and possibly in NY.
The Ensol Report on Alternatives is on the County Website at http://www.cortland-co.org/Legislature/CORTLAND%20COUNTY%20LANDFILL%20ALTERNATIVES%20ANALYSIS%20-%20FINAL%20REPORT%2010-15-10.pdf
See https://gdacc.wordpress.com/resources/waste-disposal/ for documents and news of radioactive fracking waste being disposed of in nearby landfills.
Home Rule Legislation/Support:
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1-26-12 CCTVS AGENDA.doc 64K View Download |
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1-26-12 CCTVS AGENDA.pdf 30K View Download |
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Lapeer Letter.pdf 63K View Download |
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TC Resolution supporting Home Rule.pdf 242K View Download |
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Willet Letter.pdf 69K View Download |
Other Local Actions
- Who owns Dryden? opinion by Martha Robertson, in CS 10/24/11
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Guest Opinion:The 39th Richest American vs. the Town of Dryden By Martha Robertson, Town of Dryden
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When the Town of Dryden amended its zoning on August 2 to strengthen its ban on heavy industry, including gas drilling, about a dozen communities in New York had already passed similar bans.
However, Dryden was the first to be sued by the gas industry. Why? The answer seems to be in plain sight, on the Dryden Safe Energy Coalition website (http://drydensec.org/).
The lead article, called “Leaders Attend No Ban Conference,” describes DSEC’s invitation-only gathering of sixty leaders from the oil and gas industry in Binghamton on August 22. The purpose was to “discuss legal strategies for pushing back against, and legally combating” the bans on hydrofracking passed by the towns of Dryden, Ithaca, Ulysses, Middlefield, and other municipalities.
DSEC founder Henry Kramer moderated the meeting and is quoted: “We are bringing together landowners, farmers, and industry in common cause to overturn bans and unpaid takings. We have knowledge that a test case challenging a ban is already getting underway… that could set definitive precedent for New York State….” (emphasis added)
There are too many coincidences to ignore:
• Was the Anschutz Exploration lawsuit against Dryden the “test case” that emerged out of that meeting?
• The suit was filed just as election season was beginning, in a town where fracking is the dominant political issue.
• On September 26 Anschutz’ lawyer, Tom West, said on WSKG’s Capitol Pressroom: “…we’re going to find out…Election Day. Because that’s when the Town Board and Town Supervisor are up for election….we’ll find out whether a majority of people in the Town are in favor of drilling, or not, because those elections are going to decide the fate of that issue.”
• Besides being the founder of DSEC, Kramer is prominent in the Dryden Republican Committee. He is on record warning the Town Board that a ban would bring a lawsuit.
Did Kramer’s group encourage Anschutz to sue Dryden first, hoping they could flip not only the ban, but also the election?
Anschutz Exploration is owned by Philip Anschutz, the 39th richest man in America according to Forbes. He holds leases with 7% of Dryden’s residents, on about 40% of Dryden’s land. Who controls Dryden? Whose town is it?
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- Cortlandville Town Board to Consider Hydrofracking Moratorium Request at Aug. 4 Public Meeting
- December 13, 2009 Dryden officials question the DEC about proposed drilling site:http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009912130365
- Weiss (Freetown Planning Board) comment on DEC Taylor Valley State Forest Unit Management Plan
- Cortland County Legislature Passes Resolution to Ask DEC to Ban Industrial Gas Drilling in State Forests. 10-28-10. (text soon)
- Town of Dryden Comment on DEC Forest Management Plan (text soon)
- Cortland County Legislature Considers Alternatives including selling/leasing county landfill. Ensol consultant report on alternatives
Find Leases in Cortland County:
Map of Leased Property. Cortland Co. Planning Dept. Sept. 2010:
- Click on Cortland County;
- then click “Search Public Record”
- No password is required, just click thru (“Log In”) and
- enter
- Accept the Disclaimer
- leases are under Doc. Group-“Real Property” and Document type-“Lease” or “lease surrender” NOTE: Later lease transactions (2010 FORWARD) are filed under Document Type “lease” or “lease cancellation” or “lease surrender” or “lease release” without any Document Group.
- You may limit your search by the landowner’s name, the leasing company, i.e. Chesapeake, etc. , the town, a range of dates.
- Enter “Search”
- There is a set of search tips available at the bottom of the search page.
Lease Mapping Project: The County Planning Dept and the County Clerk’s office have been working for 2 years to create a map of leases in Cortland County. During Summer, 2010, A project is planned for volunteers to gather the data needed to create the map. The instructions for this project: Cortland County Lease Write-Up[1]
State Forest Land and Gas Leasing
- Strategic Plan for State Forest Management Information on Commenting on the Strategic Plan
- http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/sfoilgasleases.pdf(Includes list of State Forest Lands Leased for Gas Drilling)
- Cortland County Legislature Resolution of DEC Land Management Plan for State Forests. 10-28-10
- Cortland Standard Editorial on Drilling in State Forests. Nov. 6, 2010
Water:
- Critical Environmental Areas in Cortland County DEC http://search.dec.ny.gov/highlight/index.html?url=http%3A//www.dec.ny.gov/permits/25111.html&hltcol=decsite&charset=iso-8859-1&la=en&fterm=cortland&fterm=aquifer&search=../query.html%3Fcharset%3Diso-8859-1%26col%3Ddecsite%26qt%3Dcortland%2Baquifer
Official Testimony and Presentations from Cortland Citizens:
- Statements from Mary Jane Uttech, Deputy Public Health Director, Cortland County at the June 10, 2010th, 2010, showing of the movie “Gasland” in Homer, NY
GDACC 