The Lookout the NEWSLETTER of the OTSEGO COUNTY CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION
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Serving Otsego County Since 1968 The Lookout THE NEWSLETTER OF THE OTSEGO COUNTY CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION James Herman lauded for conservation, environmental education efforts Fall 2010 Otsego County Conservation 1908, or something like that. Vol. 42, Issue 3 Association has announced that Two of my uncles were wildcat James Herman is the recipient oil and gas men in Kansas, of this year’s Conservationist of Texas, Oklahoma and Mexico,” President’s message: the Year award. Herman, nomi- James recounted. “As a kid I Golf, stewardship nated by OCCA volunteer Sarah used to ask them to take me to mutually exclusive? M a c A r t h u r, is being recognized the wells, but they always page 2 for his role in educating munici- refused because they said that it B pal officials and the community would be too dangerous.” at large on the possible environ- After months of investiga- Richard deRosa mental risks of current high tion into unconventional shale ponders population, impact environmental threats, gas production methods in conservation particularly high pressure 2007-2008, Herman said it took hydraulic fracturing methods him about a year to reach his page 3 used by the natural gas drilling conclusions on hydrofracking. B Photo provided i n d u s t r y. Over the past several “I gave three talks in 2008 years, Herman has worked tire- James Herman, OCCA’s 2010 about shale gas, and this was Tavis Austin joins Conservationist of the Year. OCCA staff in new lessly to educate the public before I found out through planner position about the possible dangers of commuted back and forth from O C C A’s gas lease map that the horizontal hydraulic fracturing, New York City as they built a 400 acres of productive farm- B page 3 or hydrofracking. MacArthur house and continued business land next to my property was wrote of Herman on the nomi- relations downstate. leased to a land company, ” A look back at ‘The nation form: “He believes in the “Otsego County is beautiful. Herman recalled. “This gave me Lookout’ revisits power of people and grass roots It has a low density population, added incentive to investigate history of OCCA e fforts to prevent catastrophic as well as a world-class opera, a further and share my findings damage to our environment.” very good art museum, and with municipal officials and the B page 6 “I spent a lot of time in great people,” said Herman. public. I had to convince myself intensely developed oil and gas “Eighty to 100,000 gas wells that Lilian and I would be safe Joe Ritton checks in patches in Kansas, Te x a s , across New York State would if drilling takes place on the 400 from Betty, Wilbur Oklahoma, Wyoming and mean that the same environmen- acres next door. Then when the Davis State Park Special recognition for environmental excellence will also be given to the Milford B page 7 Central School Education Foundation/M.I.S.S.I.O.N., Jane O’Bryan, and Milford Central School for promotion of environmental education, eco-friendly practices, and volun- BigFoot Baler teerism, and to John Stevens of Oneonta for lifetime achievement in advocating for available soon for ag plastics recycling natural resource appreciation. B page 8 Colorado,” Herman explained. tal impacts experienced by the draft SGEIS was issued by the “The break neck gold rush men- above mentioned states could DEC and the flaws were so tality of exploration, produc- become a reality here, where we obvious to so many, I was fur- tion, and extraction of oil or gas still have clean water and air. ” ther motivated.” is not a pretty sight and it can As an Otsego County prop- Among the presentations contaminate air, water, and soil. erty owner, Herman has a vest- given by Herman in 2008 was a I knew this from experience, ed interest in learning all he PowerPoint on the environmen- but I did not know the details. can about hydrofracking, but tal risks of hydrofracking to the My research into these issues his experiences out west are Otsego County Board of revealed the potential problems what prompted him to share Representatives. According to associated with unconventional information locally. M a c A r t h u r, he spent an enor- shale gas production.” “I grew up in Wichita, KS mous amount of time doing the Herman lives in Hartwick near El Dorado, which was one research and shared his findings with his wife, Lilian Voorhees. of the first oil plays that pin- freely with others to empower First coming to the area in pointed oil by scientific meth- their communities to help pre- 2006, for several years they ods. This took place back in Continued on Page 4 Page 2 The Lookout President’s Message OCCA in the news Leatherstocking Golf Course and Natural gas drilling and natural resource appreciation have figured prominently in OCCA’s efforts this fall. Links on our web- environmental stewardship: site’s home page (www.occainfo.org) and “News” page (www.occainfo.org/news), Are they mutually exclusive? allow you to catch up on or revisit news items generated from our press releases. For more than 40 Last year, discussions continued here in Look also for new additions on our “natu- years, OCCA has been the office about pesticide and herbicide use ral gas information” page. involved with water and the singling out of the golf course as a Natural gas drilling testing and related prime offender. Our Executive Director, Erik water quality issues Miller, pointed out that in many instances the “OCCA executive director reports on Solid Waste Management Conference.” throughout the Upper greatest threat to our environment comes OCCA’s Erik Miller attended a presenta- Susquehanna River from uninformed property owners, and the tion by Larry Shilling of Casella Waste Watershed, including cumulative impact of each not adhering to Systems titled “Implication of Oil and Gas Otsego Lake, which proper application rates and procedures when on Solid Waste Planning Units.” His serves as the water using chemicals in the environment. overview discusses the classification of supply for the Vi l l a g e MARTHA CLARVOE “How common is it for a landowner to wastes generated relative to natural gas of Cooperstown. spread fertilizer a little more robustly rather operations, the expected volume of Among the concerns we have addressed over than store an almost empty bag for the winter these byproducts, and more. the years are septic system management, agri- season? For controlled applicators, such as a cultural runoff, sedimentation, the presence of golf course or landscape professionals, this is “City of Oneonta to host panel on gas pesticides and pharmaceutical contamination. not an option,” Miller said. drilling; Miller to discuss city, OCCA With the help of OCCA member Holly involvement in drilling debate.” “ O C C A According to some of our critics we have and the City of Oneonta are working on Hren, in July and August of 2009 I set out to not done enough, specifically with regard to many fronts to educate residents,” the possible contamination of Otsego Lake determine how many homeowners here in the Executive Director Erik Miller said. by phosphates, fertilizers, insecticides and Village of Cooperstown were using herbi- weed killers introduced into the lake via the cides. Hren, who studied plant management Leatherstocking Golf Course. One of the at Cornell University, proposed an informal most prominent “green grassed” fixtures on visual evaluation of lawns located in the Otsego Lake, Leatherstocking has long been Village of Cooperstown. Based on our obser- a contentious property perceived by some as vance of a monoculture of grass or a variety a heavy polluter of our waters. of weeds, we graded the lawns throughout In 2001, prompted by the concerns of the village. Only 20 percent of the lawns sur- Michael Whaling and Andy Mason, Leatherstocking Corporation and The Clark Earlier this fall, in order to address the Foundation sponsored a study to determine continuing concerns about the golf whether the golf course was having a negative course and to educate myself on its Natural resource appreciation impact on the water quality of the lake. Using practices, I toured Leatherstocking with “OCCA partners with UC&SV Route LLC two accredited laboratories, and with the assis- to host rail trail walk.” A three-mile sec- tance of Dr. Ted Peters, the Cooperstown new OCCA Board member Linda Kehoe. tion of the former Lackawanna Railroad water plant intake and Blackbird Bay (adja- right-of-way was opened to the public for cent to the 18th tee) were tested. Peters, at the veyed appeared to use herbicides. The type exploration on Saturday and Sunday, time a consultant in clinical chemistry/bio- of chemicals and number of pesticides used, November 6 and 7. and frequency and method of application, are chemistry and a member of the Otsego County “OCCA, LVGC sponsor nature walk at Water Quality Coordinating Committee, con- questions we were unable to answer. Earlier this fall, in order to address the Leatherstocking.” On Sunday, November ducted the sampling. 14 from 2-4 p.m., OCCA and the Lake and continuing concerns about the golf course Valley Garden Club will co-sponsor a “We tested on two different dates – May and to educate myself on its practices, I nature walk on Leatherstocking Golf 16 and August 20 – for a total of 15 possible toured Leatherstocking with new OCCA pollutants,” Dr. Peters recalled. “In 2001, Course led by Course Superintendent Board member Linda Kehoe, who is also a Bernie Banas. Leatherstocking Golf Course stocked 21 bio- member of the Leatherstocking Wo m e n ’s cides.