AFTON – A special committee tasked with recommending a road use law for the Town of Afton did not report to members of the board last week.

The law is supposed to regulate trucking as it relates to natural gas exploration.

Town Supervisor Robert Briggs appointed the committee after the board created and passed local law in December that would have prohibited all trucking from within 1,000 feet of schools, residential neighborhoods consisting of five or more houses, hospitals and health care centers. In April, 11 people spoke from the podium during a 30-minute hearing of a new law, recommended by the committee, that threw out the measure due to procedural errors. The first law lacked variance procedures for trucking related to fuel, septic, garbage, propane or other industries.

Several town residents claimed that gas drilling is hazardous to the environment and public health and have called for Briggs’ resignation on conflict of interest grounds. Briggs sold his farm to the natural gas company Norse Energy Inc. three years ago; however he does not receive nor would receive royalties from any future natural gas production.