Land use, natural gas and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court

HAWLEY, PA — A meeting is being held on Monday, May 4 that will focus on the recent ruling by the court in favor of a township’s right to determine where a gas company can or cannot drill in relation to the town’s zoning laws.

The meeting will also discuss the recent ruling by the Department of Environmental Protection that overrules the township’s function in monitoring and enforcing land use practices and regulations in regard to gas drilling company operations.

The meeting, which will be held at the PPL Education Center on Route Six in Hawley from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., is principally directed at local municipal officials.

Time-speed rally in Beach Lake, PA

UPPER DELAWARE VALLEY — Up to 30 or so cars will converge on Beach Lake, PA this weekend for a rally where accuracy is more important than speed. Drivers are given instructions for the course, and told to drive, for instance 50 mph for ten minutes, then switch to 45 mph for 15 minutes, all the while looking for various checkpoints. The driver who comes closest to reaching the many checkpoints at the predetermined time is the one who wins.

The cars can include any that are legally licensed for the road, and if done properly, no traffic laws will be broken during the rally.

The precise course for the three-day event, which is hosted in Beach Lake, is kept secret but it will run from northern New Jersey through the Upper Delaware Valley, crossing the Delaware River a total of eight times and traverse Hancock, Equinunk, Hankins, Callicoon, Damascus, Milanville, Narrowsburg, Port Jervis, Milford, Barryville, Lackawaxen, Honesdale, White Mills, Hawley, Lake Wallenpaupack and other towns around the area.

For more information call Corky Rutledge at 570/224-6777 or Jim Rutledge at 224-4689.

Liberty proposed budget entails no tax increase

LIBERTY, NY — The tax levy in the Liberty Central School District will remain the same in 2009-10 under a proposed $38,118,270 budget to be submitted to voters on Tuesday, May 19.

The new spending plan, which was adopted by the Liberty Board of Education on Tuesday, April 21, represents a $1,463,625 or 3.99 percent increase.

A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on May 5 in the Liberty High School auditorium. The budget vote will take place from 1:00 to 9:00 p.m., May 19, in the Liberty High School gymnasium. At the same time, voters will elect three board members. The candidates are David Burke, Evelyn Davis, Cindy Prince and Daniel Parkhurst.

For more information call 845/292-6990.

Public invited to ‘Goodbye, NYRI’ powerline party

NARROWSBURG, NY — There will be a celebration of New York Regional Interconnect’s (NYRI) withdrawal of its plans to build an electric transmission line along 73 miles of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River on Friday, May 1 starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Narrowsburg Bridge and Veterans Park Gazebo.

Speakers who were involved in the three year long fight will address participants gathered on the bridge. A specially created soundtrack featuring music and sound bites gathered during the fight will be broadcast over the Big Eddy. The formal program will conclude with a memorable event symbolizing the importance of this unprecedented environmental victory.

Participants are invited to bring a candle to light as dusk descends, and to pack a picnic or stroll to Main Street establishments to continue the conversation.

Groups call for change in reservoir flows

DELAWARE RIVER BASIN — A coalition of conservancy organizations in the Delaware River Basin has called for the parties to the U.S. Supreme Court Delaware Basin decree to follow a new proposed schedule of releases from New York City’s three reservoirs for the next year.

A month-long shutdown last fall left the reservoirs far above normal storage levels, contributing to the reservoirs spilling before the end of last year. “We can avoid the same situation this year by shifting the shutdown releases to the late spring and summer, when the extra water can benefit the ecosystem and improve the fishery,” said Lee Hartman, chairman of the Delaware River Committee of Pennsylvania Trout Unlimited.

In late April, the decree parties’ release levels drop by over 90 percent as soon as the reservoir levels dip below 100 percent, then jump back up when storage goes back above full.

Ron Urban, chairman of the New York State Council of Trout Unlimited, said that the proposal relies entirely on water that is surplus to any water supply needs of New York City.

Hanger confirmed as DEP secretary

HARRISBURG, PA — John Hanger was confirmed overwhelmingly as the new secretary of the Environmental Protection Agency on April 23 by the state senate. Hanger has served as acting secretary since September 2, 2008.

Considered an expert on energy and environmental issues, public utility regulation and competition in the electricity, gas and telephone industries, Hanger has recently sparked controversy by eliminating the role of the county conservation districts in the gas drilling permitting process in Pennsylvania, and is seen by some critics as being too supportive of the gas drilling industry at the expense of environmental concerns.