Day 26
Today’s Topic: Staffing at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is grossly inadequate for ensuring the “Constitution” Pipeline Company’s compliance with DEC regulations. This puts New York’s water quality at risk.
Suggested Talking Points:
- Since 2008, the DEC has suffered massive cuts in its workforce. Between 2010 and 2014, the agency saw a 64% drop in enforcement of clean water violations.
- The DEC currently employs two people in its Stream Protection Program for nine counties in Region 4, through which the majority of the Constitution Pipeline would run in New York. One of these DEC employees is not full time. This means that fewer than two people would monitor compliance with regulations to protect water quality. This would be an impossible task because the pipeline company plans to have five crews working simultaneously along the 100-mile route.
- Williams Partners—the primary owner, builder and operator of the proposed Constitution Pipeline—has a notoriously bad environmental and safety record with regard to both construction and maintenance of its pipelines. How would the DEC protect New York’s water from this company given its record as a repeat offender?
- Erosion from the digging, blasting, trenching and backfilling for this pipeline, combined with shoddy management practices on the part of the pipeline company, would greatly increase runoff, sedimentation and pollution in New York’s Susquehanna River watershed, which is part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
- It would be reckless for the DEC to approve permits for this environmentally destructive, water-contaminating pipeline knowing that only two DEC employees would be monitoring its entire 100-mile length in New York State.
- I ask the DEC to continue its wise, conservationist legacy of protecting New York’s water by denying the 401 water quality permits for this pipeline.
Call today, call tomorrow!
Call, call, CALL. Governor Cuomo: 518-474-8390. Press #3 to speak with a representative.
If you are extremely shy or have already called and want to double the impact of your message…cut and paste the topic and bullet points above and email the Governor: gov.cuomo@chamber.state.ny.us
Last request: SHARE this email with everyone you know. Together, we will stop this pipeline AND the spread of fracked-gas infrastructure in New York State.
Make a Donation to help Stop The Pipeline
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- Call Governor Cuomo right now at 518-474-8390. Press #3 to speak with a representative. If you leave a voice message, be sure to spell your name and include your zip code.
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- Double your impact by sending today’s topic and bullet points to the governor
gov.cuomo@chamber.state.ny.us
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- AND to these decision-makers:
- Attorney General Eric Schneiderman
212-416-8000;
eric.schneiderman@ag.ny.gov
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- DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens:
518-402-8545;
joe.martens@dec.ny.gov
Dr. Howard Zucker, Acting Commissioner of Health:
518-474-2011
dohweb@health.ny.gov
Each weekday, from now until May 11th, Stop the Pipeline will focus on a different reason why the Constitution Pipeline would be harmful to New York’s land, water, air and people.
YOUR phone calls are what helped us win a ban on fracking in New York. YOUR phone calls will help us stop the Constitution Pipeline, too.
A Quick Snapshot
This 30-inch-diameter, 124-mile-long high-pressure pipeline would carry fracked gas from Pennsylvania, through the forests, farms, fields and front yards of New York residents, and on to Canada for export.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) can stop this Un-Constitutional Pipeline by DENYING the necessary permits.
How can you help?
Use the talking points in this email to tell Governor Cuomo and others why this project should be stopped.
Feel free to elaborate on how the pipeline would adversely affect you, your home, business, family, friends and neighbors.
Call Governor Cuomo right now at 518-474-8390. Press #3 to speak with a representative.
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