Concerned Citizens for Otego
Letter to the Editor of the Daily Star by Carolee Byrnes
This article appeared as a letter to the editor of the Oneonta Daily Star newspaper on Feb. 15, 2009, and is reprinted here with the author’s permission.
It has come to my attention that there is some confusion regarding the difference between the Unatego Area Landowners Coalition and the Concerned Citizens for Otego (CCO). I would like to take this opportunity to address this misunderstanding.
Concerned Citizens for Otego was formed with the objective of exploring the effects of future gas drilling in our community, county and state. Our goal is to educate all citizens about the possible hazards of natural gas extraction upon our water, air, health, land values, and overall well-being of our community. To that end, we have sponsored an informational forum (October 2008), have done much research, written letters to the editor, and started a website (www.otegony.com). Currently, we are preparing presentations to the Otego Village and Town Boards (February 9 and 11, 2009), and are circulating a town and county petition to request the governor for a moratorium on gas drilling until all facets have been studied and deemed safe. This is part of a larger effort to inform and educate our neighbors and fellow citizens.
It is our understanding that the various land coalitions are primarily concerned, first and foremost, with “getting the best deal” monetarily for leasing their land to the gas companies. To the best of our knowledge, environmental impacts have a very low priority on this agenda. The lure of enormous profit without consideration of the “real cost” of this enterprise impoverishes us all, and many of the harmful effects cannot be “undone.” While the monetary beneficiaries of this drilling operation will have the option of moving if their land, air, or water is contaminated, the majority of us will not have this luxury. It is imperative, therefore, to make sure that everyone is aware of the consequences of turning our community into a scarred industrial landscape.
–Carolee Byrnes, Concerned Citizens for Otego
