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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/




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