No Fracking in NYS

[Five Seasons]

They logged State land north of me two years ago.

 

i think the difference is being classified as forever wild or not.

[First-light]

How fracking got stopped in NY

Been following this for a long time. That pretty much sums it up. 

[jjb4900]

I heard of people who had already sold natural gas rights on their property to the gas companies in anticipation of BIG $$$$$...does anyone know of someone who did this, and what happens now?

[Dave]

I heard of people who had already sold natural gas rights on their property to the gas companies in anticipation of BIG $$$$$...does anyone know of someone who did this, and what happens now?

 

My neighbor has land in Hancock township and he signed a lease in 2008 and got $100,000 it was a 5 year lease.

I guess nothing happens now unless there is some stipulation in the lease agreement, if they can't drill for some reason they must pay it back.

 

[First-light]

I heard of people who had already sold natural gas rights on their property to the gas companies in anticipation of BIG $$$$$...does anyone know of someone who did this, and what happens now?

Albany, N.Y. -- New York's decision to ban fracking because of health concerns has raised a number of questions about what happens next.

Here are some of the questions and the best answers we could put forth today.

What happens to landowners who have leases with gas companies? Nothing right now. The leases, which generally have time limits, will continue to stay in effect or end on their scheduled expiration dates.

"It will not have a direct impact," said Joe Heath, a Syracuse lawyer who has worked with landowners who wanted to end their leases. 

One wrinkle is a case now pending before the state Court of Appeals over whether drilling companies can extend leases beyond their expiration date because New York had stalled in making a fracking decision. Landowners who sued to break those leases won in federal court, but the case has been moved to New York's highest court. 

Heath said he hopes the state's decision will prompt drilling companies to stop fighting to keep alive leases that landowners want to end.

Will this decision be challenged in court? Gov. Andrew Cuomo said it's likely there will be lawsuits. The challenge could come from landowners who want to tap into the gas below their property, or from the oil companies that have paid for leases on that land.

"I certainly think someone will file a lawsuit challenging this," said Brian Sampson, president of the Empire Chapter of Associated Builders & Contractors. "I certainly think if you're a landowner in the Southern Tier, the state has just made a decision that will prevent you from benefiting from the riches that are below your feet. 

Binghamton lawyer Scott Kurkoski, who represented Southern Tier landowners seeking better terms on their leases, said it's too early to tell if the group will sue.

"We'll have to see," Kurkoski said.

Albany lawyer Tom West, whose clients include a gas company and landowner who sued to overturn town zoning bans, said it's too early to tell if gas companies will bother to sue after the long delay and today's decision.

"Nobody cares about New York state," West said. "The industry has moved out and written this state off as a bunch of environmental extremists. They're not likely to invest in litigation." 

The American Petroleum Institute said it will "continue to fight" to bring fracking's benefits to New York, but didn't say whether it would sue.

Will landowners be compensated for losing their drilling rights? Probably not. Banning fracking wouldn't rise to the level of what lawyers call a "taking," in which landowners must be compensated by government action that diminishes the value of their property.

"A taking is basically removing all economic value of your property," Heath said. "A taking claim on this decision would not do well in court."

The fracking ban will prevent drillers from using what is formally known as high-volume hydraulic fracturing, in which millions of gallons of water is shut underground at high pressure into deep layers of rock that contains natural gas.

Other forms of gas drilling are still legal in New York, including traditional vertical wells that tap into pockets of natural gas, Heath said.

[Curmudgeon]

Quinnipiac poll: Voters approve Cuomo's action 55 to 25%.

 

http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2014/12/22/q-poll-ny-voters-support-fracking-ban/

[Dave]

Been following this for a long time. That pretty much sums it up. 

 

Glad the decision was made and support the conclusion.

Now maybe the communities can heal the rift between pro and con.

I think that some people forget that many anti frackers were also land owners  who walked away from the Oil and Gas money.

While the pro frackers chased after it. IMHO i think it was banned because during the moritorium we were able to gather information from those states who were fracking. They helped make the case against fracking.

 

[HectorBuckBuster]

No Cuomo did not make the decision the DEC and Health Dept guy did. Cuomo is just following their suggestion. He is trying to play both sides.

[Dave]

No Cuomo did not make the decision the DEC and Health Dept guy did. Cuomo is just following their suggestion. He is trying to play both sides.

 

At this point it doesn't matter. The health of the people who would have been exposed are the big winners along with the environment.

The decision IMHO was the right one.

 

[First-light]

Some big winners and some big losers. Those land coalitions that were holding out for 3000+/acre are the big losers.

[philoshop]

How fracking got stopped in NY

 

Thanks for the link Dave. I've loosely followed the issue for several years, and admittedly wandered back and forth about it for various reasons, but this is certainly the most concise recap I've seen.

I'm guessing that many on the 'winning' side of this are thrilled by the fact that the government is watching out for them.

[jrm]

 we run a pretty tight ship and keep our sights clean, neat and well kept so our inspections are typically just looking over our records, looking at our well sites and its a looks good and have a nice day visit.

 

 

No wonder your inspections go so well. Having the inspector at gunpoint is a powerful motivator.

 

 

 

 

(Not being a grammar nazi, just having fun. Couldn't resist)

[Dave]

No wonder your inspections go so well. Having the inspector at gunpoint is a powerful motivator.

 

 

 

 

(Not being a grammar nazi, just having fun. Couldn't resist)

 

Plus the fact there aren't enough inspectors to inspect or know what to look for.

Not to mention that the Gas companies run the industry in Pa.

Funny 8 years later they are looking to do some regulations and maby an environmental and health impact study.

 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Plus the fact there aren't enough inspectors to inspect or know what to look for.

Not to mention that the Gas companies run the industry in Pa.

Funny 8 years later they are looking to do some regulations and maby an environmental and health impact study.

Wouldn't it have been easy enough to add inspection cost the permit costs?

[Curmudgeon]

I started this conversation and then ignored the rest of it so I apologize in advance if this post is redundant.

 

For me, Cuomo declared peace in a hundred little towns in NYS. Since the Court of Appeals ruled that towns could ban fracking, a decision to allow fracking would have returned the residents of these towns to a state of war with their neighbors and friends. Cuomo may not have made the decision for the right reasons but he made the right decision for human health, the environment, and especially for the people of NYS. Peace on the matter of gas drilling will now prevail in town councils across the Marcellus and Utica Shale regions.

 

[Dave]

There should be a bunch of guys here jumping for joy...much of that land is in prime hunting areas...and the ridiculous price on land ppl started asking should drop like a rock

 

Grow's, i am not sure that is correct last year I was inquiring about a piece of land in the Callacoon area and the realestate agent lold me that people were afraid to buy because of the potential of Hydro Fracking in the area. And it was hurting their business, so if that's true then maybe the value will increase. Makes perfect sense to me, who would want to buy a piece of land and one day here comes the fracking company to drill a well 500 ft from your house. Just MHO on the value of land in Southern zone.

[Dave]

Curious why we haven't heard any horror stories coming out of the Dakota's with all the fracking going on... I think the story will be told in the areas that now have fracking... time will tell of the effect, if any, it has on the water sources... but like Doc says.. Who do you believe?

 

Joe, the fracking in the Dakato's has had its share of problems

 

1. First there is no infastructure in place to carry the gas and oil out of the Dakotas. NO PIPILINES

2. The oil is moved by train and in the past couple of months these trains have delailed causing mass damage in Canada and in the US.

3. The Methane that is encountered in the fracking is being burned off 24-7. again no pilelines to capture the gas.

 

I thought the purpose was to capture the gas and oil.

 

[nyantler]

Joe, the fracking in the Dakato's has had its share of problems

 

1. First there is no infastructure in place to carry the gas and oil out of the Dakotas. NO PIPILINES

2. The oil is moved by train and in the past couple of months these trains have delailed causing mass damage in Canada and in the US.

3. The Methane that is encountered in the fracking is being burned off 24-7. again no pilelines to capture the gas.

 

I thought the purpose was to capture the gas and oil.

 

 

Sounds to me like we need a pipeline... but our Pres. doesn't seem to think so.

[wildcat junkie]

Sounds to me like we need a pipeline... but our Pres. doesn't seem to think so.

The KXL is a "tar sands" pipeline. It has nothing to do with gas or oil & would not benefit any of the people that live in the area, or the United States for that matter. At least not as far as long term jobs or financial gain.

[growalot]

Dave I have to go on the prices our daughter was Seeing on their 3 year house hunting ordeal. There were many areas that still had the space they wanted...but in non fracking allowed areas. Prices way higher.Also prices went up due to people in the fracking business coming in and buying/rent, expecting a big OK...Their neighbor in unit next to them for 5 yrs was one such person in Corning. He moved back to PA. The year they found their new home...BTW the price dropped from 225 to 185 that same year...He helped them out several times because he wrote leasing contracts.

Edited April 4, 2015 by growalot

[nyantler]

The KXL is a "tar sands" pipeline. It has nothing to do with gas or oil & would not benefit any of the people that live in the area, or the United States for that matter. At least not as far as long term jobs or financial gain.

 

Who was talking about the KXL? Our Pres. doesn't want ANY pipeline... nor do any liberals... so your comment is quite expected.

 

So, again, it looks like they need to build a pipeline... and if it helps you keep up the liberal argument, yes, the KXL too.