This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

FORUMS ON HEALTH & SAFETY RISKS OF HUGE GAS PIPELINE PROJECT

Experts from across the country who specialize in gas infrastructure, air quality and energy safety will address the public regarding pipeline safety risks and health impacts from Spectra Energy’s Algonquin Incremental Market (AIM) project at two educational forums sponsored by the grassroots group, Stop the Algonquin Pipeline Expansion (SAPE). The first event will be held at Hendrick Hudson Library, 185 Kings Ferry Road in Montrose, NY on Wednesday, December 11. The second forum will be held on Thursday, December 12 at the Mahopac Library, 668 Route 6 in Mahopac. Both are scheduled from 7-9 p.m. Over forty groups from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts are cosponsoring the events.

Spectra Algonquin’s Incremental Market (AIM) project will go through Rockland County, cross the Hudson River and enter Westchester County near the Indian Point nuclear facility and will continue through Putnam County into Connecticut and through New England. Compressor stations at Stony Point in Rockland County, NY and Southeast in Putnam County, NY will be greatly expanded.

Wilma Subra, renowned chemist, microbiologist, former Vice Chair of the EPA National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology, and MacArthur Fellowship “Genius” award recipient will discuss how toxic emissions from compressor stations and other shale gas infrastructure negatively impact human and animal health. Ms. Subra will be joined by Matthew Walker of Clean Air Council, and Nadia Steinzor of Earthworks will participate at the Mahopac event. All have worked directly with frontline communities in the Marcellus Shale areas of the Northeast. Gary Shaw of Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition will speak at Montrose and Richard Kuprewicz of AccuFacts, a pipeline safety expert, will participate via Skype for both forums.

Find out what's happening in Scarsdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Gas pipelines leak methane, a potent greenhouse gas, during normal operations. Emissions from compressor stations and metering stations include formaldehyde, benzene, toluene and other toxins. Gas from the Marcellus Shale formation contains high levels of radon, the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.

Co-Founder of SAPE, Susan Van Dolsen said, “The public may not be aware that the 2.5 million miles of gas pipeline in the United States are regulated by the PHMSA (Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration). As pipelines proliferate throughout the country, citizens have been increasingly concerned. A large explosion in San Bruno in 2010 and pipeline spills in Michigan and Arkansas are just a few of the many accidents that occur each year.”

Find out what's happening in Scarsdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

SAPE Founders:  Paula Clair, Resident of Philipstown; Suzannah Glidden and Marian Rose, Community Watersheds Clean Water Coalition (CWCWC); Susan McDonnell, Cortlandt WATCH; Jerry Ravnitzky, Concerned Residents of Carmel & Mahopac; Ellen Weininger, Grassroots Environmental Education; Susan Van Dolsen, Westchester for Change

Co-Sponsors (List in formation):  Air Soil Water; Better Future Project; Debby Bobson, Resident of Ardsley; Bronx Greens; Businesses Against Fracking NY; Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy; Catskill Mountainkeeper; Chefs for the Marcellus; Clean Air Council; Clearwater; ClimateMama; Coalition Against the Rockaway Pipeline; Community Watersheds Clean Water Coalition; Concerned Families of Westchester; Concerned Health Professionals of NY; Concerned Residents of Carmel & Mahopac; Cortlandt WATCH; Damascus Citizens for Sustainability; Delaware Riverkeeper Network; Essex/Passaic Green Party; Federated Conservationists of Westchester County; Food & Water Watch; Food & Water Watch NJ; GMOFreeCT; Grassroots Environmental Education; Hutchinson River Restoration Project; Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition; League of Women Voters Rivertowns NY; New Jersey Sierra Club; New Yorkers Against Fracking; Northeast Organic Farming Association-CT; NYC Friends of Clearwater; NYH2O; Otsego 2000, Inc.; Pepacton Institute, LLC; Rockland Coalition Against Fracking; Roseland Against Compressor Station; SACRED; Sane Energy Project; Save Cummins Hill; Shut Down Indian Point Now!; Sierra Club Lower Hudson Group; Sister Carol De Angelo, Sisters of Charity; Stop the Minisink Compressor Station; The Mothers Project; Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Briarcliff, Croton and Ossining; United for Action; WESPAC; Westchester for Change; Westchester SAFE

The events are free and open to the public. For more information, please go to www.sape2016.org or https://www.facebook.com/groups/sape2016/


We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?