Concerned over initial meetings with representatives from Constitution Gas, the Town of Cobleskill has hired an outside attorney to negotiate any right-of-ways.
Supervisor Tom Murray said he, Councilman Alan Rubin, and Planning Board members met with Constitution Gas regarding plans to run a natural gas pipeline through Cobleskill from Pennsylvania to the Town of Wright.
The proposed line was to have come within 600 feet of the reservoirs; Mr. Murray said Constitution agreed to move it 1,300 feet away.
"They drew some new lines, but a couple of weeks later, when we got the new maps, they hadn't fixed what we'd asked for," Mr. Murray said.
"That makes me very concerned about our right-of-way agreements."
Mr. Murray said Constitution has been pushing the town to sign the right-of-way agreements, but every time they speak with a rep, the size of the right-of-ways changes.
"First it was 50 feet, then 60; now it's 100," he said. "We haven't been able to pin them down yet...It depends what rep you talk to."
Mr. Murray said he also has concerns over the use of herbicides in the 600-foot-wide swatch being cleared for the right-of-ways and whether they could also be used by a second pipeline company or even for fiberoptics.
Mr. Murray said the Planning Board pushed to have the pipeline run down I-88 "but they had more reasons than I ever heard about why not.
"And we were under the impression that that was what the median had been built for..."
Fracking activist Louise Johnson said karst probably isn't a problem near Cobleskill's reservoir, but four major fault lines cross there.
"And these are major fault lines," she said.
The board agreed to hire the law firm of Tabner, Ryan and Keniry LLP at a cost of $1,000-$1,500 to deal with the right-of-ways.
The town will be reimbursed up to $1,500 by Constitution.