YORK — Approximately 25 community members attended a Town of York public hearing to voice strong concerns over proposed changes to a local law that would permit High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing, or fracking, in many districts of the Town of York. Many members of the community said that the Town did not properly notify the public of the hearing, or the fracking conversation was even taking place.
The proposed local law, which can be read in its entirety at www.yorkny.org, would permit fracking for natural gas in approximately 75 percent of the Town. Most of the area that is not to be fracked is along Western borders of the Genesee River, which flows along the Eastern side of the Town, as well as the area surrounding the western shaft of the American Rock Salt mine.
“I feel that the community was not given proper notice,” said Melissa Alber-Chase. “Your last update on your Facebook page was a chicken BBQ and parade months ago.”
Many audience members voiced strong disapproval for the proposed law as York Town Board Members sat stone-faced at the head of the room. The Board announced that they were merely there to hear public concerns, and that they would not be responding to any statements or questions at this time.
According to Town Supervisor Gerald Deming, the Town did post notices twice in the Livingston County News, fulfilling their legal obligation to alert the public to the hearing. However, most of the community members in the room confirmed that they only heard about the hearing because their neighbor, Davies Nagel, hand painted a huge plywood sign on his front lawn saying, “FRACK YORK! Public Hearing at 6:00pm in Town Hall.”
Demming added that the Town has no particular schedule as to when a vote on the proposed law might take place, and that the town will be
accepting written comments from the public until Oct 23.
Additional reporting by Conrad Baker.
PHOTO CAPTION: Map of the proposed fracking zone in the Town of York. Areas in red are not to be fracked, areas in green are target fracking zones.