Citing potential water pollution and other harmful risks, members of the Citizens Alliance for a Pristine Perinton (CAPP) presented their findings on hydrofracking to the Perinton Town Board on Wednesday.
At the conclusion of the group's presentation, they asked the board to enact a prohibition banning the practice within town limits, or at the very least, pass a moratorium on fracking.
While presenters admitted that Perinton is not a likely area to be targeted for gas drilling if it is legalized in New York, its residents could be harmed if liquid flowback, or "brine," containing radioactive material is leaked into the water supply from a nearby region.
This would pose a risk if drillers capitalize on the rich natural gases in the Utica Shale, located beneath the Marcellus Shale, which traverses Monroe County.
Aside from possible water and air pollution, the threat of traffic and roadway issues was also addressed.
CAPP member Martha Sullivan showed a video clip that described the negative impact of numerous heavy construction vehicles and equipment being dragged across local roads and highways.
Known as "fraffic," this would not only pose risk of a hazardous waste spill that would damage nearby water and soil but could also cause permanent disrepair to roads at taxpayers' expense.
"If Perinton can't regulate the activity on its roads, we can certainly make an impact because it affects us directly," said Sullivan.
Town Supervisor Jim Smith responded to the presentation, which was also heard by members of the Perinton conservation board.
"We certainly agree that these are not things we want to see happen in Perinton, and we want our community to be protected from certain impacts," he said.
Before agreeing to a moratorium or ban, he said that the town will evaluate its existing zoning code to ensure it is "structurally sound" before making any additional changes to it or presenting a hydrofracking ban or moratorium.
"We think our zoning code is the best line of defense," said Smith.
Citing potential water pollution and other harmful risks, members of the Citizens Alliance for a Pristine Perinton (CAPP) presented their findings on hydrofracking to the Perinton Town Board on Wednesday.
At the conclusion of the group's presentation, they asked the board to enact a prohibition banning the practice within town limits, or at the very least, pass a moratorium on fracking.
While presenters admitted that Perinton is not a likely area to be targeted for gas drilling if it is legalized in New York, its residents could be harmed if liquid flowback, or "brine," containing radioactive material is leaked into the water supply from a nearby region.
This would pose a risk if drillers capitalize on the rich natural gases in the Utica Shale, located beneath the Marcellus Shale, which traverses Monroe County.
Aside from possible water and air pollution, the threat of traffic and roadway issues was also addressed.
CAPP member Martha Sullivan showed a video clip that described the negative impact of numerous heavy construction vehicles and equipment being dragged across local roads and highways.
Known as "fraffic," this would not only pose risk of a hazardous waste spill that would damage nearby water and soil but could also cause permanent disrepair to roads at taxpayers' expense.
"If Perinton can't regulate the activity on its roads, we can certainly make an impact because it affects us directly," said Sullivan.
Town Supervisor Jim Smith responded to the presentation, which was also heard by members of the Perinton conservation board.
"We certainly agree that these are not things we want to see happen in Perinton, and we want our community to be protected from certain impacts," he said.
Before agreeing to a moratorium or ban, he said that the town will evaluate its existing zoning code to ensure it is "structurally sound" before making any additional changes to it or presenting a hydrofracking ban or moratorium.
"We think our zoning code is the best line of defense," said Smith.
