Albany Action to Stop Constitution Pipeline!
TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2015 • 11 am - 1 pm
*Remember, without Constitution Pipeline, NED is even less viable
Join us in Albany on Tuesday for an emergency press event at the LOB and action outside the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) offices in downtown Albany to call on Governor Cuomo and DEC reject the proposed Constitution Pipeline. This pipeline is specifically being built to ship gas from Pennsylvania to the highest paying markets, including Canada. From there it can be shipped overseas. We can’t let this fracked gas that is poisoning our neighbors in PA to be transported through our beautiful state!
The pipeline company has publicly stated that DEC would make a decision in July on its application for a ‘401 water quality certificate’, which it needs to build the Constitution Pipeline. Now that it’s August, we are all concerned that a decision could come down any day. Since FERC has conditionally approved the pipeline, DEC’s rejection of the “401 water quality certificate” is the last chance that we have of stopping this dangerous pipeline from:
-destroying over a 1,000 acres of beautiful forests & farms,
-clear cutting over 700,000 trees,
-crossing 277 waterways in upstate New York,
-putting our communities and public safety at risk,
-allowing pipeline corporations to seize land from NY residents through eminent domain.
We all know that one pipeline leads to another. Already, another pipeline company has proposed another pipeline - the Northeast Energy Direct (NED) - to be located about 50 feet away from the proposed Constitution, which would require everything to be torn up again, and another massive strip of land seized and cleared. Both proposed pipelines - the Constitution and the NED - will be crossing the same waterways and DEC should do a cumulative study of the water quality impacts of both projects NOW.
Please join us at this critical moment in Albany to call on Governor Cuomo and DEC deny the water quality certificate and Stop the Pipeline!
What:
Emergency Press Event in Albany and
DEC Action to Stop the Constitution Pipeline!
When and Where:
Tuesday, August 11th
11AM - Press Conference
Legislative Office Building (LOB) - LCA Press Room
198 State Street, Albany, NY 12210
12PM- Action Outside DEC Headquarters
625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233
COMING FROM WEST OF ALBANY?
BUS FROM ONEONTA INFO:
8:30 AM
Oneonta Bus Pick Up
Public Parking
47 Market Street
Oneonta, NY 13820
Bus Leaving Albany,
2pm
Arriving back in Oneonta 3:30-4pm
Sponsored by, New Yorkers Against Fracking, Stop the Constitution Pipeline, Frack Action, Catskill Mountainkeeper, Food & Water Watch - New York, Sierra Club
Even if you can't make it to Albany
Sign the letter to Cuomo & the DEC to deny the 401 WQ Certificate
Sign the letter to Governor Cuomo and Acting Commissioner Gerstman to deny the 401 Water Quality Certificate for the proposed Constitution Pipeline. Remember - stopping Constitution could jeopardize the viability of the Northeast Energy Direct! Help our neighbors in PA & NY facing TWO nearly co-located pipelines.
Sign the letter ...
FERC Scoping Meetings This Week
 The current Scoping period officially ends on August 31, 2015. Key points remain the unfair timing of the Scoping Meetings and the fact that towns affected by Compressor Stations and those in eastern Mass facing lateral pipelines, are largely excluded from having local scoping hearings.
» We are also still encouraging people to contact Congress and their State Legislators to ask for the Scoping Process to start over.
» Learn more about Scoping
There are still three more meetings in this current schedule
— Tuesday, August 11, 2015 • 7:00 PM
Dracut Senior High School
1540 Lakeview Ave.
Dracut, MA 01826
— Wednesday, August 12, 2015 • 7:00 PM
Lunenburg High School
1079 Massachusetts Ave.
Lunenburg, MA 01462
— FERC indicated that there will be a meeting scheduled for Winchester, NH, but has yet to disclose an exact location or date. The delay in scheduling this last intended Scoping Meeting may end up extending the deadline for comments by a week, though this has not yet been confirmed.
The call to halt the current schedule of Scoping Meetings, and to start the Scoping process from scratch with a new 60-day comment period is still being urged by elected officials and citizens alike.
» See statement by MA Congressional Rep. McGovern
» See statement by MA State Legislators
Rosenberg, Downing, Kulik, Mark, Cariddi, Whipps-Lee
MEDIA REPORTS ON LAST WEEK'S HEARINGS
» Hundreds Oppose Pipeline Project, iBerkshires
» FERC Gets and Earful, Greenfield Recorder
» Pipeline Protesters Flood FERC Session in Nashua, Ledger-Transcript
» Pipeline Official Grapples with Criticism, Greenfield Recorder
VIDEO COVERAGE OF HEARINGS
» Greenfield Scoping Meeting
» Milford Scoping Meeting
Meanwhile, in Sandisfield ....
Concerns over Kinder Morgan's CT Expansion Pipeline plan continue to ramp up
ILLEGAL SEGMENTATION
Kinder Morgan's CT Expansion Pipeline plan consists of three segments of pipeline "looping" (new pipeline added alongside existing pipelines) in PA, CT and in Sandisfield, MA. In the view of those watching both CT Expansion and NED, these dual applications, their physical proximity in CT, the fact that KM considers the 200-line as a possible alternate route for NED, and the fact that they share at least two customers indicates and increasingly clear case of illegal segmentation (when a pipeline company files applications for a project in separate sections to create the illusion of a smaller impact and less cumulative impact).
» See ruling for Delaware Riverkeeper vs. FERC
This point was brought up by several commenters at last week's Scoping Meetings for NED, and can be pressed in comments on FERC Dockets for both projects. Properly merging the two projects into one could reset the entire process back to a new Pre-Filing, giving stakeholders for both projects more time to properly prepare and address the issue.
» Comment on both dockets at FERC
CT Expansion Docket #CP14-529
NED Docket #PF14-22
ARTICLE 97 OVERRIDE LEGISLATION
In pursuing the CT Expansion project, not only did Kinder Morgan skip the pre-filing process, but they hoped to have FERC conduct a basic Environmental Assessment, not the full Environmental Impact Statement normally required for new projects.
 Now "emergency legislation" has been introduced in the MA Legislature to try to force a release of Article 97 land in Sandisfield for use for this pipeline. An additional alarming aspect of this proposed legislation is that it was filed by Rep. Bradley Hingham, a MA State Rep. from the eastern Plymouth Co., far from the area to be impacted should it pass. This is a highly unusual maneuver that has other lawmakers concerned and could set a bad precedent for future Article 97 requests.
Bill H.3690
An Act relative to the conveyance of an easement in the town of Sandisfield, Massachusetts
By Mr. Bradley of Hingham (Plymouth 3rd Dist.), a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Garrett J. Bradley for legislation to authorized the commissioner of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to convey to the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, L.L.C. certain permanent subsurface and surface easements located in the town of Sandisfield for pipeline purposes.
» Read the Bill here
WHAT YOU CAN DO
— Contact FERC and demand that they tell Kinder Morgan they will have to go through process of having Article 97 released by the state, not just as an emergency measure (there IS no emergency other than Kinder Morgan's rush to get the CT Expansion ready to go) and press concerns over illegal segmentation
— Contact Legislator Bradley (especially if you're from Western MA) about your objection to his call to release land from Article 97 protection that isn't in his jurisdiction. Make sure to copy whole committee.
» Example: Letter sent by Berk. Co. resident, Judy Eddy
— Contact your own State Legislators with the same concerns and ask them to stand against ANY release of Article 97 land.
» WAMC reports on the CT Expansion issue
» Learn more about the CT Expansion from S.T.O.P.
See upcoming events on our site including
Monday August 10, 2015 • 6-8 PM
West Cummington Church Parish House
27 W. Main Street
West Cummington
Monday August 17, 2015 • 6-8 PM
421 Beldingville Road
Ashfield, MA
» More performances coming up
Check back often - we update as events are announced. Send notices of pipeline related events to nofrackedgasinmass@gmail.com.
Weekly Compressor Station Vigils in Northfield
Area residents are gathering to stand vigil at the intended location for the Northfield compressor station every Thurday afternoon. Meet fellow pipeline fighters and share stories of not only compressor stations but gardens, trails and histories. Please join whenever you can.
» Greenfield Recorder reports on this ongoing action
Thursdays between 4:30 and 5:30.
Gulf Road, Northfield, MA
From Rte. 63 in town take Maple St. out which becomes Gulf Rd. Its about 2 miles or so. when you see the high tensions wires cross the road- the property is on the left. No house- so no street number. Across the road and a little further up the hill there’s a pull off safe place to park cars.
For more info, call Hattie Nestel, 978-790-3074.
New Statistical Analysis of FERC Comments
July Was a Record-Breaker!
Pipeline activist Steven Frades has been evaluating the NED Docket for stastical trends. The overall trend is upward, and July was a record-breaker!
» View Statistical Analysis for the last 3 months.
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