DOWNLOAD: OXFORD ROAD USE AGREEMENTS
The Road Use Agreement of the Oxford Town Board was supposed to address the six basic questions raised in 2012 by Oxford Town residents, Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Granata. Many additional issues become apparent upon studying the provisions outlined, particularly the amount of responsibility accorded to the supervisor of highways.
We urge readers to download the full 7-page document and read it carefully to determine whether it protects the Oxford community from serious long-term damage.
Six Questions from Vincent and Susan Granata, Oxford Town residents, about road use if fracked gas drilling permits are approved for the Town of Oxford:
Submitted to the Oxford Town Board November 1, 2012
- 1. Does the budget allow for more ambulances and emergency vehicles? According to the Fire Department we have only two (2) ambulances. They also stated that they have 2 pumpers, 2 tankers, 1 ladder truck, I brush truck and 2 rescue boats. With the influx of industry workers, extra traffic and hazards due to the drilling process, these items seem quite inadequate. Please refer to the Town of Lebanon Town Supervisor Jim Goldstein’s letter (allegations and complaints # 6-9) regarding unsupervised open brine pits accessible to public and animals, deliberate puncturing of said pits and disposal practices, spills and groundwater pollution and illegal dumping of sediments in violation of the DEC into streambeds.
- 2. In the budget are there allocations for the needed training programs of the town and village personnel to monitor and handle situations in the event of a major gas explosion or toxic chemical spill or contamination clean-up practices for soil and water? Additionally, are they trained in evacuation procedures and protocol?
- 3. Does the budget also allow for extra personnel to monitor and assess the roads used by the industry to ensure the effective passage/safety of our school buses, emergency service vehicles, and general traffic patterns with regard to emergency repairs should the industry impede this kind of traffic?
- 4. In the budget have you allocated for litigation expenses should Norse Energy fall short in their contracts/agreements? Have you procured a bond or specific fund to cover any damages that can potentially occur in an emergency situation to cover costs and to pay for litigation fees? Please refer to Town of Lebanon/Goldstein allegations and complaints # 4, 6 and 7. Norse Energy, according to area maps, has many lease agreements. The town of Lebanon’s Goldstein states that Norse Energy was $90 million in debt; see Lebanon/Goldstein allegations and complaints #6 in delays in paying royalties and #13 for failure to coordinate, communicate and cooperate with town officials with regular road maintenance programs. Perhaps an agreement for cooperation with this company should be re-evaluated.
- 5. With the budget, is the town getting revenue or consenting to the extraction of the needed water for the fracking process? Please refer to Lebanon/Goldstein letter # 10 about the industry attempting to extract water from sources without consent or notification. It seems revenue should be generated should they use the town water supply.
- 6. In the budget is there revenue generated from fees or fines should the industry have delays or inappropriate repairs to town roads? Is the town prepared to institute fees or fines for illegal road use such as road weight limits or traveling on undesignated roads or illegal dumping? Refer to Lebanon/Goldstein allegations and complaints #4,9 12 and 16.