Barrington approves hydrofracking moratorium

Jun 28, 2011 at 02:27 pm by Observer-Review


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Barrington approves hydrofracking moratorium

    BARRINGTON—The town of Barrington now joins Milo and Jerusalem in approving a moratorium on hydrofracking.
    The Barrington board passed the measure, lasting one year, at the Wednesday, June 22, meeting. However, before it is active the moratorium needs to go before the Yates County Planning Board. The town will also need to hold a public hearing on it next month, Wednesday, July 13, at 7 p.m.
    Barrington planning board chairperson Sue Lange asked the board to approve the moratorium. She said the planning board needs the extra year to get the new zoning codes and road regulation approved. Lange added the state may be done with its Marcellus Shale drilling rules by July 1 and could be issuing drilling permits a month after that. She explained once the state issues a drilling permit, the company is only bound by the rules on the book at the time.
    Following the moratorium vote, Rob Louden and Jerry Lange presented a slideshow of pictures from a recent road trip to Pennsylvania. Louden explained various planning board members wanted to see the natural gas drilling situation taking place there.
    During public comment, resident Steve Knapp said he and others are looking to publicize lease holder concerns. Specifically, he said gas companies have written to lease holders saying contracts will be extended because of the New York state moratorium on hydrofracking. However, Knapp added that the leases say nothing about hydrofracking specifically and the moratorium does not affect regular natural gas drilling. He said there may be a meeting where people can get together over these concerns.
    In other business:
    • The board passed the steep slopes law. A public hearing was held, but the only comments were in support of the law.
    • The board agreed to use $8,900, raised from the sale of scrap metal, to pay for the garage barn construction.
    • Marion Louden was approved to join the Yates County Planning Board representing Barrington.
    • Supervisor Fred Wright said he was contacted by the Bishop Sheen Housing Foundation about home repair grants that are available in the area. He said the group has offered assistance in Barrington before. The Access to Home Grant offers funds to make a home more handicapped accessible and improve interior wheelchair/walker mobility. Interested residents can call 585-657-4114 for applications and income eligibility.
    • The board will vote on abandoning seven unused roads at the next meeting. Highway Superintendent Steve Wheeler said all have been unused for at least six years each. Clerk Joy Perry explained an eighth road cannot be declared abandoned because someone has used it for a driveway. She said the town will hold a public hearing for that road at a later date.

 

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