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Catharine Town Judge Dismisses Trespass Charges “in the Interests of Justice”

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Apr 132015
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | April 13, 2015

Contact: Sandra Steingraber, 607-351-0719

photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wearesenecalake/sets/72157651944689225/

video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCamtUgHaIU [reaction statement of Sujata Gibson, defense attorney]

 

Catharine Town Judge Dismisses Trespass Charges “in the Interests of Justice” for Eight More Seneca Lake Gas Protesters 

Hearing Brings Some Defendants to Tears; Richard Koski of Trumansburg, Widower of Recently Deceased Protester Lisa Koski, Is Among Those Whose Charges Are Dropped

 

Odessa, NY – In a short but emotional hearing on Monday morning in the Town of Catharine Court, Judge Richard J. Lewis granted a motion to dismiss all charges “in the interests of justice” brought by eight We Are Seneca Lake protesters. All had been arrested as part of a sustained civil disobedience campaign at the gates of Crestwood Midstream. The eight protesters—who reside in seven different towns in four different Finger Lakes counties—were charged with violations of trespass.

Catharine is the fourth Schuyler County court to grant such dismissals. On March 18, charges were dismissed for 42 protesters in the Town of Reading Court; on March 25 in the Town of Hector Court, charges were dismissed for 11 protesters; and on April 9, in the Town of Dix Court, charges were dismissed for 5 protesters.

The We Are Seneca Lake campaign opposes the expansion of gas storage in abandoned lakeside salt caverns owned by Crestwood.

About 75 additional civil disobedients, also charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct relating to protests at Seneca Lake, still have cases pending.

The defendants who appeared before Judge Lewis submitted an oral motion asking for dismissal of their charges. As did defendants in Reading, Hector, and Dix, they read from a statement that said,

We only have this planet. We must safeguard it for those who follow. Would that it not be necessary, but sometimes citizens of good conscience must engage in non-violent acts of civil disobedience to protect that sacred trust. As long as Crestwood Midstream Partners, or any other corporate or public or private entity, continues to threaten our way of life by the proven dangerous storage of highly compressed gas in the crumbling caverns at the Salt Point facility, I reserve the right to act as my conscience dictates in order to protect Seneca Lake, its citizens, and the surrounding environment. I reserve all rights to protest further at the Crestwood facility, although it is not my intent at this time to break the law in doing so.

District Attorney Joseph Fazzary expressed his willingness to accept a motion to dismiss. Judge Lewis granted the motion and dismissed the charges “with prejudice.”

“It felt like being in church,” Fazzary observed after the hearing concluded, referring to the ceremonious group recitation of the motion to dismiss brought by the eight protesters.

Defense attorney, Sujata Gibson, a member of the legal defense team, said in a short statement after the hearing, “Justice is far better served, with these law-abiding citizens just doing their ethical duty, by dismissing these cases than it is fighting out hundreds of cases about whether they stepped over the line and trespassed ….There were people crying as they read the statement aloud today … It’s quite moving in the courtroom when people are speaking their hearts. Everyone was touched.”

Among those whose charges were dropped was Richard Koski, 71 of Trumansburg, whose wife and fellow protester, Elizabeth “Lisa” Da Cunha-Koski, 80, died last month. Lisa’s obituary noted, “In her final days, she was proud to have demonstrated to save her home area from the dangers of gas storage at Seneca Lake.”

 

Protesters whose charges were dismissed this morning were:

 

Daryl Anderson, 61, Hector, Schuyler County

Kerry Angie, 62, Aurora, Cayuga County

Pete Angie, 34, Ulysses, Tompkins County

Katie Barrett, 55, Syracuse, Onondaga County

Shirley Barton, 66, Mecklenberg, Schuyler County

Richard Koski, 71, Trumansburg, Tompkins County

Margaret McCasland, 68, Lansing, Tompkins County

Cathy Middlesworth, 49, Syracuse, Onondaga County

 

Read more about the arrested protesters at http://www.wearesenecalake.com/seneca-lake-defendes/.

Read more about widespread objections to Crestwood’s gas storage plans: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/26/nyregion/new-york-winemakers-fight-gas-storage-plan-near-seneca-lake.html?_r=0

 Posted by at 11:47 am

Charges Dismissed “in the Interests of Justice” for Five More Seneca Lake Gas Protesters in Town of Dix Court

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Apr 092015
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | April 9, 2015

Contact: Sandra Steingraber, 607-351-0719

photo: http://www.wearesenecalake.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/dix2015_04_08.jpg [Defense attorney Joseph Heath and Seneca Lake defendant Catherine Johnson, 53, of Ithaca, outside Town of Dix Court, 4/8/15]

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qldMnYqh8U&feature=youtu.be

 

Charges Dismissed “in the Interests of Justice” for Five More Seneca Lake Gas Protesters in Town of Dix Court

 

Watkins Glen, NY – On Wednesday night in the Town of Dix Court, Judge Alan E. Gregory granted a motion to dismiss all charges “in the interests of justice” brought by five We Are Seneca Lake protesters. All had been arrested as part of a sustained civil disobedience campaign at the gates of Crestwood Midstream. The protesters were charged with the violation of trespass.

Dix is the third court to grant such dismissals. On March 18, charges were dismissed for 42 protesters in the Town of Reading Court, and, on March 25 in the Town of Hector Court, charges were dismissed for 11 protesters.

The We Are Seneca Lake campaign opposes the expansion of gas storage in abandoned lakeside salt caverns owned by Crestwood.

About 85 additional civil disobedients, also charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct relating to protests at Seneca Lake, still have cases still pending.

The defendants who appeared before Judge Gregory  submitted an oral motion asking for dismissal of their charges. As did defendants in Reading and Hector, they read from a statement that said,

We only have this planet. We must safeguard it for those who follow. Would that it not be necessary, but sometimes citizens of good conscience must engage in non-violent acts of civil disobedience to protect that sacred trust. As long as Crestwood Midstream Partners, or any other corporate or public or private entity, continues to threaten our way of life by the proven dangerous storage of highly compressed gas in the crumbling caverns at the Salt Point facility, I reserve the right to act as my conscience dictates in order to protect Seneca Lake, its citizens, and the surrounding environment. I reserve all rights to protest further at the Crestwood facility, although it is not my intent at this time to break the law in doing so.

Assistant district attorney Matt Hayden expressed his willingness to accept a motion to dismiss. Judge Gregory granted the motion and dismissed the charges “with prejudice.”

Defense attorney, Ray Schlather, a member of the legal defense team who advised the protesters and who negotiated the mass dismissal agreement, said in a short statement to the court that he was proud of the Seneca Lake defendants. Not only had they acted on principle on behalf of “protection of the environment,” but, he added, they also had defended “the integrity of the judicial system itself.”

Referring to the risks that Crestwood’s gas storage plan poses to the community, Schlather said, “Extreme threats warrant extreme measures.”

Defense attorney Joseph Heath, also a member of the pro-bono legal defense team, was visibly moved after the court proceedings, He said, “Last month marks the beginning of my 41st year as a lawyer.  During that time I’ve handled over a dozen different sets of civil disobedient defendants. And in that 40 years, this dismissal, along with the several hundred others, is one of the high points of my legal career.  Because it’s recognizing that the citizens are right and that what they’ve done out there and the jeopardy they’ve put themselves in is the right thing to do, For once, the court system has responded with justice. This message needs to go to both Albany, to Governor Cuomo, to stop this insanity, and to Crestwood, in Houston, to take their plans someplace else.”

Protester Catherine Johnson, 53, of Ithaca, said, “We’d be crazy not to protest right now, given the pollution and destruction that would come with this project. We have to do what we just did. I’m pleased the charges were dismissed. That was justice today. Further justice is to stop Crestwood.”

Protesters whose charges were dismissed last night were:

James “Jimmer” Bond, 28, Hector, Schuyler County

Jeff de Castro, 61, Trumansburg, Tompkins County

Timothy Dunlap, 60, Hector, Schuyler County

Catherine Johnson, 53, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Elizabeth Peet, 47, Hector, Schuyler County

 

Read more about the arrested protesters at http://www.wearesenecalake.com/seneca-lake-defendes/.

Read more about widespread objections to Crestwood’s gas storage plans: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/26/nyregion/new-york-winemakers-fight-gas-storage-plan-near-seneca-lake.html?_r=0

 Posted by at 11:00 am

Photos from our Daily Protests / Vigils

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Apr 082015
 
 Posted by at 11:49 am

Charges Dismissed “in the Interests of Justice” for 11 More Seneca Lake Gas Storage Protesters in Town of Hector Court

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Mar 262015
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | March 26, 2015

Contact: Sandra Steingraber, 607-351-0719

photos:  http://www.wearesenecalake.com/dismissals-in-hector-in-the-interests-of-justice-march-25-2015/

video:   https://youtu.be/jJIybAxEExE

Charges Dismissed “in the Interests of Justice” for 11 More Seneca Lake Gas Storage Protesters in Town of Hector Court

Dismissals now total 53; about 90 more cases pending

 

Burdett, NY – In a hearing on Wednesday night in the Town of Hector court, Judge Daniel J. Fitzsimmons granted a motion to dismiss all charges “in the interests of justice” brought by 11 Seneca Lake protesters. All had been arrested as part of a sustained civil disobedience campaign at the gates of Crestwood Midstream in the Town of Reading. The cases of these eleven had been transfered to the Town of Hector Court. They represent the first mass dismissals since the original 42 that were dismissed a week earlier, on March 18, in the Town of Reading Court.

The Schuyler County district attorney’s office has agreed to accept dismissal motions from all remaining civil disobedients charged with violation-level trespass and disorderly conduct relating to protests at Seneca Lake and whose cases are still pending at various town courts within the county. Ithaca attorney Ray Schlather, member of the legal defense team advising the protesters, negotiated the mass dismissal agreement.

Protesters with the campaign We Are Seneca Lake oppose the expansion of gas storage in abandoned lakeside salt caverns owned by Crestwood.

The dismissals en masse, “in the interests of justice” are a stunning turn-around for protesters. Those who appeared in court near the beginning of the now five-month-old campaign received maximum fines or maximum jail sentences, and, for one defendant, a judgement lien.

Represented by Schlather, eight defendants appeared before Judge Fitzsimmons on Wednesday night and submitted an oral motion asking for dismissal of their charges. In unision, before the judge, they read from a text identical to that used successfully by protesters last week before Judge Raymond Berry in the Town of Reading Court:

We only have this planet. We must safeguard it for those who follow. Would that it not be necessary, but sometimes citizens of good conscience must engage in non-violent acts of civil disobedience to protect that sacred trust. As long as Crestwood Midstream Partners, or any other corporate or public or private entity, continues to threaten our way of life by the proven dangerous storage of highly compressed gas in the crumbling caverns at the Salt Point facility, I reserve the right to act as my conscience dictates in order to protect Seneca Lake, its citizens, and the surrounding environment. I reserve all rights to protest further at the Crestwood facility, although it is not my intent at this time to break the law in doing so.

Judge Fitzsimmons also agreed to drop charges for two other defendants, Charles Geisler and Catherine Rossiter, who were scheduled to appear in court but were unable to attend. Separately, Reverend Nancy Kasper, represented by a public defender, submitted the identical motion. Her charges were likewise dropped. In all cases, assistant district attorney Matt Hayden expressed his willingness to accept the motion, and, in granting it, Judge Fizsimmons dismissed the charges “with prejudice.”

Prior to his ruling, Judge Fitzsimmons reviewed the ten requirements, “A through J,” that must all be met in order for a court to grant a motion to dismiss in the interest of justice under the New York Criminal Procedure Law § 210.40. As evidence of the defendants’ “seriousness” of purpose, Fitzsimmons cited the trainings in non-violent civil disobedience that all We Are Seneca Lake protesters are required to undertake prior to their participation. He noted that the harm to the community caused by the defendants’ actions was “negligible.” He acknowledged the upstanding character of the accused and noted that their actions brought them no financial gain. “Inarguably,” he said, the protesters’ actions were motivated by conscience.

In closing, Fitzsimmons emphasized, as did Assistant District Attorney Hayden before him, that the dismissal, while a ruling in favor of the accused, is not a political statement by the court in support of their actions and that, going forward, laws should be obeyed.

The 11 protesters whose charges were dismissed last night were:

Bruce Agte, 58, Binghamton, Broome County

Britton Doughtery, 28, Ovid, Seneca County

Charles Geisler, 69, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Patricia Heckart, 63, Trumansburg, Tompkins County

Robert Henrie, 88, Wolcott, Wayne County

Nancy Kasper, 56, North Rose, Wayne County

Rosalie Richter-Goldberg, 70, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Margie Rodgers, 60, Elmira, Chemung County

Catherine Rossiter, 62, Sayre, Bradford County, PA

Kathy Russell, 67, Dryden, Tompkins County

Mark Scibilia-Carver, 62, Trumansburg, Tompkins County

 

 

Read more about the arrested protesters at http://www.wearesenecalake.com/seneca-lake-defendes/.

Read more about widespread objections to Crestwood’s gas storage plans: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/26/nyregion/new-york-winemakers-fight-gas-storage-plan-near-seneca-lake.html?_r=0

 Posted by at 12:03 pm

Charges Dismissed “in the Interests of Justice” for 42 Seneca Lake Gas Storage Protesters

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Mar 192015
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | March 19, 2015

Contact: Sandra Steingraber, 607-351-0719

photos:  http://www.wearesenecalake.com/in-the-interests-of-justice/

video: http://www.wearesenecalake.com/intheinterests/ and Youtube.  Also see this Youtube

 

 

Charges Dismissed “in the Interests of Justice” for 42 Seneca Lake Gas Storage Protesters

 

Dismissal motions will also be accepted from the roughly 100 other civil disobedients with pending court dates; 

Defense attorneys hail decision as “historic”

 

Watkins Glen, NY – In three speedy hearings on Wednesday night in the Town of Reading court, Judge Raymond Berry granted a motion to dismiss all charges “in the interests of justice” brought by 42 Seneca Lake protesters. All had been arrested as part of a sustained civil disobedience campaign at the gates of Crestwood Midstream.

The campaign, We Are Seneca Lake, opposes the expansion of gas storage in abandoned lakeside salt caverns owned by Crestwood.

Further, attorneys for the defendants announced that an agreement had been reached with the Schuyler County district attorney’s office to accept identical dismissal motions from the roughly 100 other civil disobedients also charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct relating to protests at Seneca Lake and whose cases are still pending. At least 20 cases have been transferred to other area courts in Schuyler County.

Ithaca attorney Ray Schlather, member of the legal defense team advising the protesters, negotiated the mass dismissal agreement.

Individually and in groups, the defendants who appeared before Judge Berry on Wednesday night submitted an oral motion asking for dismissal of their charges. They read from a statement that said,

We only have this planet. We must safeguard it for those who follow. Would that it not be necessary, but sometimes citizens of good conscience must engage in non-violent acts of civil disobedience to protect that sacred trust. As long as Crestwood Midstream Partners, or any other corporate or public or private entity, continues to threaten our way of life by the proven dangerous storage of highly compressed gas in the crumbling caverns at the Salt Point facility, I reserve the right to act as my conscience dictates in order to protect Seneca Lake, its citizens, and the surrounding environment. I reserve all rights to protest further at the Crestwood facility, although it is not my intent at this time to break the law in doing so.

After each recitation, assistant district attorney John Tunney expressed his willingness to accept a motion to dismiss. In each case, Judge Berry granted the motion and dismissed the charges “with prejudice.”

The proceedings were remarkable for the commendation offered to the protesters by Judge Berry, who has not always been fulsome in his praise for their actions during the five-month-long campaign that has seen maximum fines and jail sentences.

To one group of defendants, Berry said, “I’m very proud of you. You had a cause and you fought for it to the best of your ability. Congratulations.”

To another, he said, “I’ve grown to admire you people.”

Defense attorney, Sujata Gibson, who has worked closely with protesters since December, said, “This is a big moment in history to have this many cases dismissed in the interests of justice. It affirms the importance of this cause and the ethical motivations of the protesters. I’m sure the court and district attorney’s office were in a very difficult position, and they should be applauded for the thought they put into looking for outcomes that promote justice.”

Gibson continued, “We’ve seen a sea change in the way the court and the prosecutors have reacted to our cases—from maximum sentences for jail terms for trespassing violations to large-scale offers to support dismissals in the interests of justice. This is a testament to the sincerity and passion of the protesters. They are single mothers, wine makers, business owners and teachers. Their stories are deeply affecting. I’ve watched Judge Berry and the D.A. become very moved by the willingness of these human beings to make enormous sacrifices. I myself have been deeply moved.”

Protester Michael Dineen, who had previously been sentenced to jail by Berry for a protest-related act of trespassing and had a similar charge dismissed on Wednesday, said, “I am extremely proud to be part of a community that is willing to be arrested in such numbers to prevent Crestwood’s plan to industrialize our region and threaten our lake. And I’m thankful that the Schuyler County DA’s office has recognized that ‘we all have an obligation to protect our environment,’ and that justice is therefore best served by dismissing all charges.”

Protesters whose charges were dismissed last night were:

 

Judy Abrams, 66, Trumansburg, Tompkins County

Edgar Brown, 60, Naples, Ontario County

Carolyn Byrne, 38, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Deborah Cippola-Dennis, 49, Dryden, Tompkins County

Joanne Cippola-Dennis, 53, Dryden, Tompkins County

Lyndsay Clark, 53, Springwater, Livingston County

James Connor, 83, Mecklenburg, Schuyler County

Doug Couchon, 64, Elmira, Chemung County

Kim Cunningham, 58, Naples, Ontario County

John Dennis, 63, Lansing, Tompkins County

Michael Dineen, 65, Ovid, Seneca County

Peter Drobney, 56, Corning, Steuben County

Martha Ferger, 90, Dryden, Tompkins County

Richard Figiel, 68, Hector, Schuyler County

Carrie Fischer, 38 Fayette, Seneca County

Kenneth Fogarty, 75, Guilford, Chenango County

Lynn Gerry, 58, Watkins Glen, Schuyler County

Heather Hallagan, 41, Meckenburg, Schuyler County

Carey Harben, 47, Hector, Schuyler County

Nancy Kasper, 56, North Rose, Wayne County

Sharon Kahkonen, 65, Mecklenburg, Schuyler County

Crow Marley, 55, Hector, Schuyler County

Faith Meckley, 20, Geneva, Ontario County

Kelly Morris, 55, Danby, Tompkins County

Paul Passavant, 48, Geneva, Ontario County

Kirsten Pierce, 44, Burdett, Schuyler County

Mariah Plumlee, 35, Covert, Seneca County

Leslie Potter, 70, Big Flats, Chemung County

Dan Rapaport, 54, Newfield, Tompkins County

Stephanie Redmond, 38, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Rick Rogers, 66, Spencer, Tioga County

Cat Rossiter, 62, Sayre, Bradford County, PA

Laura Salamendra, 30, Geneva, Ontario County

Coby Schultz, 54, Springwater, Livingston County

Elan Shapiro, 67, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Brion Seime, 42, Newfield, Tompkins County

Stefan Senders, 55, Hector, Schuyler County

Audrey Southern, 31, Burdett, Schuyler County

Chris Tate, 52, Hector, Schuyler County

John Wertis, 51, Wertis, Trumansburg, Tompkins County

Dwain Wilder, 75, Rochester, Monroe County

Ruth Young, 77, Horseheads, Chemung County

 

Read more about the arrested protesters at http://www.wearesenecalake.com/seneca-lake-defendes/.

Read more about widespread objections to Crestwood’s gas storage plans: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/26/nyregion/new-york-winemakers-fight-gas-storage-plan-near-seneca-lake.html?_r=0

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 Posted by at 5:33 am

In the Interests of Justice

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Mar 192015
 
 Posted by at 3:08 am

Issues Conference – Feb. 12 and 13, 2015

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Feb 122015
 
 Posted by at 11:13 am

Feb. 11, 2015 Six Finger Lakes Residents Arrested This Afternoon

 Press Kit  Comments Off on Feb. 11, 2015 Six Finger Lakes Residents Arrested This Afternoon
Feb 112015
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Sandra Steingraber | 607.351.0719

 

photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wearesenecalake/sets/72157650749601902/

 

 

 

                Six Finger Lakes Residents Arrested This Afternoon

          in a “Finger Lakes United” Blockade at Crestwood Midstream

 

 

Total arrests in ongoing We Are Seneca Lake campaign against gas storage reaches 216

 

Watkins Glen, NY – In an act of civil disobedience, seven people from five counties throughout the Finger Lakes region created a human blockade this morning at both of the gated entrances of Crestwood Midstream. Protesters prevented all traffic from entering for four hours. Six were arrested at 1:50 p.m. by Schuyler County sheriff’s deputies. (One of the blockaders, Janet McCue, 64, of Hector in Schuyler County left before law enforcement arrived.)

Two dozen other Finger Lakes residents rallied along Route 14, holding signs and banners that declaimed the beauty of the region and declared themselves united against gas storage.Their actions were part of a four-month-old campaign called We Are Seneca Lake, which seeks an end to gas storage in lakeside salt caverns.

Crestwood’s methane gas storage expansion project is advancing in the face of broad public opposition and unresolved questions about geological instabilities, fault lines, and possible salinization of the Seneca Lake, which serves as a source of drinking water for 100,000 people.

Arrested protesters were transported to the Schuyler County sheriff’s department, charged with trespassing and released. The total number of arrests in the ongoing campaign stands at 216.

Kim Cunningham, 58, of Naples in Ontario County, said, “I grew up on Keuka Lake, and raised my kids there. When I travel and someone asks me where I’m from, I say I’m from the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of New York, so I believe Seneca Lake is my lake. I’ve been a farmer for 35 years. I work for Heron Hill Winery, and I feel we’re impacted by this mess.”

John Tornow, 69, of Seneca Township in Ontario County, said “I’m an environmentalist, and I just don’t think storing gas inside old salt mines is worth the risk. Also, this is all part of the fossil fuel train that we need to get off of. The third thing is, I don’t feel like I have representation here. I live in Seneca Township in southern Ontario County. The government that made this decision is not responding to me. I don’t have money. So, my presence is my offering.”

Carrie Fischer, 38, of Fayette in Seneca County, said, “This decision affects many more areas than just Schuyler. We get our drinking water from Seneca Lake, as do 100,000 other people. It’s our duty to protect the lake. Crestwood’s plan is a risk to public health and safety for the whole Finger Lakes region.”

Today’s protest comes the day before the opening of an Issues Conference, called by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, that will examine the evidence for harms and risks of the proposed liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage facility, as raised by parties opposing the project. The Issues Conference takes place at the Holiday Inn in Horseheads, New York and begins on Thursday, Feb. 12.

We are Seneca Lake protesters are focused on methane storage in the salt caverns—approval for which was granted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last summer—but also oppose LPG storage.

Those arrested today were:

Kim Cunningham, 58, Naples, Ontario County

Jodi Dean, 52, Geneva, Ontario County

Carrie Fischer, 38, Fayette, Seneca County

Jane Russell, 63, Pulteney, Steuben County

John Tornow, 69, Seneca Township, Ontario County

Jan Zeserson, 67, Town of Ulysses, Tompkins County

 

Read more about the arrested protesters at http://www.wearesenecalake.com/seneca-lake-defendes/.

Read more about the persistent bias of the Reading Town Court:  http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/12/26/a-report-from-the-frontlines-in-the-war-against-fracking/#.VJ7OU5npvxE.facebook

Read more about widespread objections to Crestwood’s gas storage plans:  http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/26/nyregion/new-york-winemakers-fight-gas-storage-plan-near-seneca-lake.html?_r=0.

Background on the protests:

Protesters have been blocking the Crestwood gas storage facility gates since Thursday, October 23, including a rally with more than 200 people on Friday, October 24th. On Wednesday, October 29, Crestwood called the police and the first 10 protesters were arrested. Since then, protests have been ongoing, with more arrests each week. More information and pictures of the actions are available at www.WeAreSenecaLake.com.

The unified We Are Seneca Lake protests started on October 23rd because Friday, October 24th marked the day that major new construction on the gas storage facility was authorized to begin. The ongoing acts of civil disobedience come after the community pursued every possible avenue to stop the project and after being thwarted by an unacceptable process and denial of science. The protests are taking place at the gates of the Crestwood compressor station site on the shore of Seneca Lake, the largest of New York’s Finger Lakes.

The methane gas storage expansion project is advancing in the face of broad public opposition and unresolved questions about geological instabilities, fault lines, and possible salinization of the lake, which serves as a source of drinking water for 100,000 people. Crestwood has indicated that it intends to make Seneca Lake the gas storage and transportation hub for the northeast, as part of the gas industry’s planned expansion of infrastructure across the region.

*Note that the WE ARE SENECA LAKE protest is to stop the expansion of methane gas storage, a separate project from Crestwood’s proposed Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage project, which is on hold pending a Department of Environmental Conservation Issues Conference on February 12.

As they have for a long time, the protesters are continuing to call on President Obama, U.S. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, Governor Cuomo, and Congressman Reed to intervene on behalf of the community and halt the dangerous project. In spite of overwhelming opposition, grave geological and public health concerns, Crestwood has federal approval to move forward with plans to store highly pressurized, explosive gas in abandoned salt caverns on the west side of Seneca Lake. While the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has temporarily halted plans to stockpile propane and butane (LPG) in nearby caverns—out of ongoing concerns for safety, health, and the environment—Crestwood is actively constructing infrastructure for the storage of two billion cubic feet of methane (natural gas), with the blessing of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

More background, including about the broad extent of the opposition from hundreds of wineries and more than a dozen local municipalities, is available on the We Are Seneca Lake website at http://www.wearesenecalake.com/press-kit/.

 

 Posted by at 5:09 pm

Photos of Finger Lakes United Blockade Feb 11, 2015

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Feb 112015
 
 Posted by at 11:33 am
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