Gastem, a Quebec-based oil and gas exploration and development company with natural gas leases in Sharon and Carlisle, and Utica Energy of Ohio, which has leases in Cobleskill as well as in Sharon, have notified 17 landowners that they've been "released" from their leases.
In effect, that cancels the leases, signed in 2007 and 2008.
That's welcome news for some but not so much for others.
Lisa Zaccaglini, who's been leading anti-hydrofracking efforts in Sharon, said she's holding off on the celebrating-especially since Gastem has also said it will be dropping leases in Otsego County.
"It's good news, but I won't be breaking out the champagne until everyone in Schoharie County has their leases released," Ms. Zaccaglini said, adding, "And then, of course, we still have New York State and DEC to worry about."
Also not celebrating is Paul Larkin of Sharon, who's been released from his lease with Gastem.
Mr. Larkin and his wife, Patricia, signed their five-year lease in July 25, 2008; December 1 they received a letter from the company telling them they'd been released.
"Is it good news? It might be if someone was going to replace the income," Mr. Larkin, a dairy farmer, said Monday.
Though his Gastem lease wasn't netting him a lot of money, every year until last year, they got a small lump-sum payment from the company.
"This year, instead of an annual payment, we got a release," he said.
Mr. Larkin believes Gastem and Utica Energy are pulling out of Schoharie County for two reasons:
There's not that much natural gas here and there's been too much controversy against hydrofracking in particular.
"Things were just too negative," he said.
Mr. Larkin is angry that people moving into the area are calling the shots for families like his, who've been here more than a century, and he said he doesn't believe there's anyone who would walk away from the money natural gas could mean if there was a large find under their property.
"Would I not do it again?" Mr. Larkin said of signing the lease. "I couldn't say that. I'd probably try to work more in conjunction with other landowners. It's no fun being out on the ledge by yourself."
Both Mr. Larkin and neighbor Fred Santillo, who's also been released from his Gastem lease, said it's unlikely the divisions caused by the gas controversy there will ever heal.
But Mr. Santillo said he's glad to be rid of his lease.
Mr. Santillo and his wife, Gloria, were also three years into a five-year lease and because they hadn't received their annual payment in 2011, had been working with a lawyer from Binghamton to get the lease voided.
In the meantime, he said, like the Larkins, they were released.
Mr. Santillo said he had his own concerns about hydrofracking-something no one even mentioned when they signed in 2008.
"None of us had any idea," he said. "I don't think it was ever mentioned...It's like someone selling you a rabbit and you find out it's a python."
Mr. Santillo said he suspects Gastem's and Utica Energy's precarious financial position-and not lobbying against fracking-is responsible for the pull-out.
"Regardless, it's good news," he said. "I'm hoping it will be a good omen to 2012."
Also released in the document filed with the County Clerk October 27 were: Larry, Sally, and Gerald Crosby; Paul Todd, William Snopsky, James Collins, Joseph Sinatra, Paula Skaggs, Harry and Donna Edsall, and Milton, Thomas, Leanne, and Carol Schilde.