Community conversations: Gas Exploration

Bruce And Peggy Grund, Cochecton Center, NY

By Richard A. Ross

Bruce Grund seriously considered the idea of leasing his land to gas drillers, though he never discussed it with his wife Peggy. The 62-year-old Vietnam veteran, who retired from the New York Telephone Company and subsequently from nursing, represents the third generation of his family to live on the property. His grandparents once raised chickens and his parents ran a dairy farm.

The Grunds settled into their current home on the land in 1970, after Grund’s father had sold the cows. These days it yields no income except for a small sum derived from hay rental, and taxes keep going up. Grund figured maybe he’d lease his 74 acres to gas drillers and have something to leave his daughter Chris, her husband Kevin and their child Robert.

“I never really understood any of the risks involved. I was told they’d come and drill where I wanted them to, make some noise for two or three months and leave us with something like a fireplug in a pristine setting.”

So when a neighbor tried to talk to him about the downside of leasing, Grund walked away. But then he received a personal letter from that neighbor and his wife that spoke of the impact of drilling on the land, neighbors and future generations. A DVD of gas drilling’s negative impact in Hickory, PA and other literature was included.

Peggy, who recently retired from Catskill Regional Medical Center after 37 years as a lab technician, read the letter and was shocked. “You aren’t really considering this, are you?” she asked.

The final chink in the armor was a conversation with Peggy’s cousin Dan a couple of weeks later.

Dan, an ardent trout fisherman and a member of a sportsmen’s club called Mutton Hollow Outfitters, warned Grund about the enormous amount of water used and the impact on the water table. “Being raised on a farm, the one thing you need is water,” Grund said as he discussed his change of heart.

Grund and his neighbor decided to travel to North Central Pennsylvania, where Grund remembered fun fishing times with Dan. Dan showed them depleted streams and a dried up dam, and expressed his concern about what could happen once the drilling starts. (See “Water log” on pages 4-5.)

The more Grund learned about fracking chemicals, water depletion and health risks, the more resolute he became against the idea of leasing his land. “I have a grandchild now. What am I going to turn over to him?”

“That property is my nest egg for my daughter, her husband and my grandson,” said Grund. “This is what my parents left me and this is what I can leave behind for my family.”

“We have to be shepherds of our land,” he concluded. He is now busy talking to others trying to help them to better understand the bigger picture.

The River Reporter devotes this series to the people of the Upper Delaware region and their varied perspectives on the issue of gas and oil exploration. As diverse individuals comprising a larger community, what do we stand to gain—or lose? How might our landscape, and our quality of life, change? What are the critical issues to consider? What are the potential economic, environmental and social impacts? As we confront conflicting interests, how can we keep our sense of community intact? To share your perspective, contact Sandy Long at 845/252-7414 or email sandylong@riverreporter.com.