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Sane Energy Project has long focused on infrastructure, and truth be told, it used to get a little lonely banging the drum about pipelines and compres
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Sane Energy Project has long focused on infrastructure, and truth be told, it used to get a little lonely banging the drum about pipelines and compressor stations. But we've reached a turning point for the anti-fracking movement in New York State: it's way beyond just talking about a ban now. Because really, we are already being fracked, in every way BUT the drilling.
Due to the efforts of our members and allies, and with the help of our YOU ARE HERE map, people all over the region are now up in arms about shale gas infrastructure of every stripe. New coalitions are coming together, blockades are planned, forums are being held, hearings and rallies are packed! Here's a roundup of recent and upcoming actions: |
 The above map, assembled by Bill Huston, illustrates how the entire region is bound by common pipeline projects that aim for export |
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As we developed the YOU ARE HERE mapping project, the big picture of shale gas infrastructure became very apparent: A network of pipelines is planned to deliver fracked gas to export via Canada and LNG facilities along the coast. We were also aware that all over the Northeast, grassroots groups have sprung up to resist this infrastructure in our neighboring states of Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Sane Energy Project decided to organize a conference, and last weekend, a gathering of activists from nearly three dozen grassroots groups met in Albany.
In almost every state in the union, people are learning there’s a new fossil fuel pipeline or pipeline expansion planned near them—or already permitted. In the Northeast, to date, at least 20 pipelines traversing thousands of miles are underway or in the permitting stages. This weekend's summit demonstrates that public opposition is mounting. In the face of this growing threat, the group that came together in Albany has formed a coalition to share resources, strategy, and support, as we work towards our common goals of defeating the encroachment of fossil fuel infrastructure and ensuring a renewable future. |
 Some of the grassroots groups that took part in the weekend summit. |
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The supremely insane proposal to store explosive liquefied gases in unstable salt caverns next to an aquifer for 100,000 people has now been approved.
Despite years of presenting scientific fact and thoughtful comments to reviewing agencies, local residents and their precious local ecology and economy are being shunted aside for the short term benefit of industry. The risks are unfathomable. After exhausting all regulatory avenues, as Captain Ray has often predicted with the sign he carries to all rallies (pictured at left), this is when the rubber meets the road.
A demonstration and civil disobedience, planned by Finger Lakes communities, began yesterday with a blockade of Crestwood's gate. Click HERE for a report on Thursday's action. Check our facebook page today for breaking news about today's action. |
 More than two dozen people put themselves on the line Thursday to block construction at Crestwood from beginning. The blockade continues Friday with a large rally. |
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Saturday, Oct. 25th, Westchester residents keep after Spectra, with a Rally Against the Algonquin AIM Pipeline: 12 to 3pm in Pugsley Park, 1038-1098 Main Street, Peekskill, NY. Co-sponsored by the Reynolds Hills, Concerned Peekskill Residents (CPR), Keep Yorktown Safe (KYS) and Stop the Algonquin Pipeline Expansion (SAPE) Share the Facebook event.
NYC Grassroots Alliance member, Paul Stark reported on the recent hearing in Buchanan, on Spectra's plan to build a 42"-diameter pipeline near the village elementary school. As one resident, a first responder, put it: "We’re fighters. We’re the ones who go into burning buildings when they fall down. We’re the ones that go in after those kids even if we’ve only got 90 seconds.” Read the full story HERE. Watch video of the scoping hearing in Cortland HERE. |
 FERC's overcrowded and chaotic hearing in Georgetown on October 8th |
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The hubris and ineptness of FERC and pipeline builders is creating a level of response to infrastructure projects like never before.
FERC's attempts to circumvent appropriate environmental reviews and squelch opposition by hosting inadequate public hearings is leading to an even more intense public response.
Dominion's "New Market Project" threatens to bring an additional 112,000 dekatherms (per day) of fracked gas into New York and build THREE huge compressor stations, in addition to system-wide enlargements over nine counties in a 200-mile area. Yet, instead of holding meetings in each affected town, FERC plans to schedule only ONE additional meeting in the same area as the one it botched on October 8th. (Read a full account of that hearing and view video HERE.) |
Continuing the focus on FERC from the July rally, a large and diverse coalition will disrupt business as usual at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission headquarters for a whole week, November 3rd through 7th. Join up here.
Monday the 3rd and all succeeding days will begin bright and early by blocking FERC entrances. Arrests, if / when they occur, will probably happen before 11am.
• The action will continue with leafleting, chanting, creative street art and theater, and at 2pm on Monday the 3rd, by joining Tim DeChristopher and the folks from Popular Resistance for an action at Democratic National Committee headquarters.
• At 5pm a flash mob will POINT THE FINGER AT FERC! Sane has organized discount bus tickets ($25 RT) from NYC; only 5 seats are left; sign up for the bus HERE. |
A group of concerned Chemung County organizations and individuals––including our friends from People for a Healthy Environment (PHE)––held a rally last week before a Chemung County Legislature meeting, to call attention to the dangerous disposal and treatment of fracking waste in their towns. While the county has officially said that the drill cuttings going into Chemung County facilities are "just soil," there's clear evidence that radioactive material is entering facilities that were never designed to handle such waste.
Doug Couchon from PHE brought the YOU ARE HERE map to the legislature's attention, saying that Chemung County is now firmly "on the map" because of its inattention to this issue. The rally and legislative session was covered by WENY news. |
 LNG Tankers would offload into an undersea pipeline off the coast. |
Do you live on Long Island, or have friends or family who do? If so, they need to know about the Port Ambrose LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) project and attend a community meeting next week.
Port Ambrose competes with a proposed offshore wind farm, slated for the same ocean location. If an LNG port goes in first, developers are unlikely to invest in building wind turbines where tankers that attract terrorist attention would be pulling up to offload fuel.
We'll be discussing all the details and asking local residents to join a task force to stop it. Thursday, October 30, 7-9PM. Bellmore Exempts Fire Hall, 228 Pettit Avenue, Bellmore, NY Map here. The Firehouse is directly opposite the Bellmore station of the Long Island Railroad. Facebook page HERE |
The Coalition to Protect Communities from Fracking’s Collateral Damage formed in 2014 in the wake of the court decision upholding the rights of NYS communities to ban fracking. As their website states, collateral damage includes: Waste disposal; Infrastructure for transporting and storing gas–pipelines, compressor stations, export facilities, underground storage; Air pollution, road use, and rail transport. In other words, what our infrastructure map illustrates is already happening. So we are pleased to know that the day-long forum will include a demonstration of the YOU ARE HERE infrastructure map by Ithaca-area contributor Maura Stephens. November 15th at Ithaca College, Textor Hall, 9am-5pm. Full conference agenda here. |
Now that we've unveiled YOU ARE HERE, our map of fracking infrastructure across New York State, we are trying to spread the word. We could win a $10,000 grant to take the map on tour, but WE NEED YOUR HELP! Please vote here for our project, and tell every group or email list you're a part of to vote for our project as well. With your help we can bring the map to towns all over the state! |
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