A meeting next Wednesday will give another view of Constitution's proposed gas pipeline that may pass through Schoharie County.
The open house on the 27th is at Radez School in Richmondville at 7pm.
The open house will look at landowners' rights, taking property by eminent domain, projected pipeline routes and the pipeline's affect on property values, among other issues.
"It's a counter-balance to the open houses Constitution held," said Bob Nied of the Center for Sustainable Rural Communities, who'll be one of the speakers.
"It's a different perspective."
Other speakers will be Schoharie Supervisor Gene Milone, Middleburgh Supervisor Jim Buzon and Jennifer Stinson of Stop the Pipeline.
Constitution still must submit its plan to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which has the final say on the pipeline.
Mr. Nied said much of the meeting will focus on the FERC process, and in particular, the percentage of cooperation Constitution is receiving from landowners so far.
For instance, Mr. Nied said, a pipeline company might expect 80 to 90-percent cooperation when asking landowners to allow a survey crew on their property. In Schoharie County, that cooperation percentage is 63 percent, Mr. Nied said.
Constitution also hopes for cooperation in seeking easements from property owners. Those numbers look low for Schoharie County, too. If a landowner doesn't grant an easement, Constitution would have to go to court to get it.
"FERC looks at those cooperation numbers and wants to see most people in favor of it," Mr. Nied said. "Our strategy is to keep those numbers down."
Other pipeline topics at the meeting will be:
•Is it a done deal?
•How can you keep pipeline representatives off your property?
•How will your property values be affected?
•What is the latest information about pipeline routes?
•What are your rights as a landowner?
•Can they take your land by eminent domain?
The general thrust is to support landowners when they're faced by a giant corporation, Mr. Nied said.
"We want to make people more confident about what their rights are," he said. "We want to give them information to make a decision.