Although fracking itself seems to be at a stalemate in New York State, that doesn’t mean that the drillers are at a standstill.  Oil and gas interests are working hard to get the related infrastructure into place: the pipelines, storage facilities, and compressor stations that are essential to bring fracked gas to market.  Much of it is projected to be shipped overseas where the prices are much higher, while we would be on the receiving end of all the environmental degradation.  And that’s where you come in!

UPDATE

The gas industry plan to create a MASSIVE infrastructure in NYS means that EVERYONE who lives near a toxic and potentially explosive pipeline, compressor station, or Liquified Natural Gas (“LNG”) storage facility will be affected.  There currently are over 53 proposed or approved gas infrastructure projects across NYS, including several in NYC and its suburbs, as well as in New Jersey.

To keep the gas in a highly pressurized state as it travels through pipelines, compressor stations are located every 40 to 100 miles along the route to market.  Compressor stations have been documented to cause air, water and noise pollution and the air around them have shown extremely high levels of carcinogens and neurotoxins.  In our neighboring state of Pennsylvania, gas companies have constructed over 450 compressor stations in five years. That’s how quickly and extensively gas drilling can impact communities.

So, in a nutshell, there are THREE CURRENT RISKS:

• Industry is trying to build a storage center/gas hub in the abandoned salt caverns under Seneca Lake (the source of drinking water for 100,000 people).
• Industry aims to build the Port Ambrose LNG facility off Jones Beach in Long Island that would connect ocean-going ships to planned on-shore infrastructure (in the same area as a prospective offshore wind farm).  Governors Cuomo and/or Christie can still veto this.
• The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has proposed new rules that would establish a permitting program for the siting, construction, and operation of LNG facilities and transportation of LNG.  In addition to plants that would fuel trucks, it would open the state to a build-out of LNG infrastructure and encourage the industrialization of rural NYS.  PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR ACTION!

ACTION

We Need Your Help Now…

Although the comment period for Seneca Lake closes today, the comment period for the Port Ambrose project hasn’t yet begun (but it will be a quick 45 days when it does).  Consequently, we’d primarily like to focus your attention on the proposed DEC regulations. Just as we inundated the DEC with over 200,000 comments on the proposed fracking regulations,  we need to do the same regarding the proposed infrastructure regulations. This is vitally important.

Please submit as many comments as you can from now through November 4^th (5 pm). You can utilize Sandra Steingraber’s terrific website (and terrifically easy) “Return of 30 Days“, which provides background and assistance to send one comment every day. This article is also VERY helpful and a bit more in-depth.

Or you may send comments directly to the DEC –
By email:  attention Mr. Russ Brauksieck, at: derweb@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Or
By snail mail to: NYS DEC – Central Office, 625 Broadway, Room 129, Albany, NY 12233-7020

Port Ambrose Project

It’s never too soon to start calling Cuomo about this one!  We’ll have some powerful allies in those who populate the Jones Beach area, as well as the New Jersey shore, so start spreading the word.  In fact, Christie has expressed grave concern for his beloved shore communities that have suffered so much. The proposed veto is sitting on his desk.  So those of you who have friends in NJ or live there yourselves, please make your voices heard – “NO TO PORT AMBROSE!”

Cuomo:  (518) 474-8390
Christie:  609-292-6000