OXFORD – The Chenango County Planning Board denied a proposed amendment to the Village of Oxford’s zoning ordinance, which would zone out shale gas drilling within the village limits. A public hearing on the suggested land use change is scheduled for 7:30 tonight at the American Legion Post 376’s banquet room in Oxford. Without the county planning board’s blessing, a minimum of four village board of trustees must vote in favor of the proposal in order for it to be enacted.

Described as “a confirmatory/clarification,” the amendment is following the same process for approval as a previously proposed nine-month moratorium on shale gas drilling, or high water volume hydraulic fracturing. Although the suggested moratorium was never enacted by the village board of trustees, and the proposal expired Jan. 13, the Chenango County Planning Board had approved it with a list of recommendations and concerns.

“The only difference between now and last time is they approved the moratorium with a list of recommendations,” said Mayor Terry Stark yesterday. “This time they disapproved the clarification amendment, though they listed the same

concerns as they did last time.”