Sullivan County pursues power line battle

Practices neutrality on gas drilling

By FRITZ MAYER

MONTICELLO, NY — Two of the biggest issues facing western Sullivan County recently have been related to delivering more energy to consumers. In 2006, the power line issue arose as New York Regional Interconnection (NYRI) began the process of gaining permission to build a line that would bisect the county. In 2008, the gas drilling issue arose, as gas companies began to lease drilling rights from landowners in Sullivan County, as well as across the river in Pennsylvania.

The response to the two situations by county legislators has been markedly different, as was illustrated at a meeting of the Planning and Environmental Management Committee at the government center on August 14.

On the issue of gas drilling, commissioner Bill Pammer unveiled a newsletter called “Natural Gas Drilling 101,” which gave the basics and some background on gas drilling. The one-sheet document provides information to residents who might be new to the subject. Lawmaker Jodi Goodman thanked Pammer and his staff for maintaining neutrality in the creation of the newsletter.

On the issue of NYRI, Ethan Cohen, county planning and policy manager, made a presentation to the county about the legal battle to oppose the power line, which reflected a very non-neutral posture. In the past two years, the county has provided $100,000 to Communities Against Regional Interconnection (CARI), which is a partnership between state and local governments, citizens groups and environmental groups to work to halt construction of the line.

While the power line permit application progress is ongoing at the state level, CARI continues to oppose NYRI on many fronts. Perhaps the most visible recent move was to aggressively campaign against NYRI’s application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a guaranteed return on investment of 13.5 percent; the matter is still pending. CARI is also deeply involved in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy and its designation of a large area of the region as the Mid Atlantic Corridor, which may ultimately allow NYRI to bypass New York laws in the siting of the power line project.

One of the reasons for the difference in approach on the two matters is that county legislators voted unanimously in the summer of 2006 to oppose the power line and to actively work to prevent it from going through. On the other hand, county lawmakers have not had a similar vote on the gas drilling issue and, while separate lawmakers have urged caution in going forward with gas drilling and called to slow down the process, the county as a whole has not adopted an official position on the matter.

The gas drilling newsletter can be found at www.scgnet.us, go to departments, then planning. Visit www.caricoalition.org for information on CARI.