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FROM: Commission for the Environment SUBJECT: Monthly Meeting Summary DATE: June 11, 2012 LOCATION: Southern Human Services Center, Chapel Hill _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ MEMBERS PRESENT: Renee Price (Chair), Lucy Adams, May Becker, Bill Kaiser, David Neal, Tom O’Dwyer, Jan Sassaman, Gary Saunders MEMBERS ABSENT: Peter Cada, Loren Hintz, Michele Drostin, Michael Hughes, David Welch STAFF PRESENT: Rich Shaw, Tom Davis, David Stancil GUEST: Jennifer Miller _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ I. Call to Order: Price called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm II. Additions or Changes to Agenda – Price noted that she wanted to consider proposing a resolution recommending that the BOCC oppose hydraulic fracturing in Orange County. Price said she would raise that issue during the fracking update (Item IV.) III. Approval of Minutes – The May 14 meeting summary was approved unanimously. IV. Update on Hydraulic Fracturing – Davis presented the findings of a recent USGS assessment of the available sources of natural gas in North Carolina. CFE members discussed the findings and remarked on the small amount of gas available and recoverable. Davis gave an overview of the latest legislative actions by the NC General Assembly, including the Senate’s passage of SB 820. He noted that the House was scheduled to vote on a companion bill later in the week. CFE members discussed SB 820 and whether the law would allow any local control of fracking. Price asked members to consider drafting a resolution in opposition to hydraulic fracturing in Orange County. She recognized Jennifer Miller who had asked to speak on this matter. Miller asked that the CFE recommend that the BOCC ban fracking in the county. She reported on ordinances passed by Creedmoor and a town in New York. CFE members discussed the merits of an outright ban versus some other approach that would be more appropriate given the pending state legislation. The CFE agreed to have a committee draft a resolution and circulate to all members for approval. Members agreed that if the resolution were approved by a majority of members, the Chair would present the resolution to the board of commissioners for consideration on June 19. V. Updates and Information Items – CFE members received updates on the half-cent sales tax referendum for Orange County transit funding, the CFE memo concerning Gorilla Materials, Inc. and its planned expansion, the upcoming CFE presentation about protecting native plant habitat (June 19 BOCC), the CFE proposal for generating solar energy in subdivisions, and UNC’s decision to conserve 107 acres as part of the Mason Farm Biological Reserve. VI. Committee Meetings – The committees did not meet due to the multiple absences. VII. Adjournment – Price adjourned the meeting at 9:05 p.m. Minutes by Rich Shaw, DEAPR Staff