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Yoga Practitioners Bend Over Backwards to Protect Seneca Lake

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Jul 292015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—July 29, 2015

Media Contact: Lindsay Speer | 315.383.7210

photos: http://www.wearesenecalake.com/yogisprotectseneca/

video: http://www.wearesenecalake.com/video/

Yoga practitioners literally bend over backwards to protect Seneca Lake

Ten Finger Lakes Residents Arrested in Civil Disobedience Blockade at Crestwood

Watkins Glen, NY – In an act of peaceful civil disobedience against gas storage in Seneca Lake salt caverns, ten Finger Lakes residents, including many practitioners of yoga, blockaded the north entrance of Crestwood Midstream on Route 14 just after dawn July 29 beginning with a series of sun salutations.

Yoga mats were rolled out on the pavement for the participants to perform a series of vinyasa poses. A dozen others joined them, doing yoga on the grass nearby. Relaxing cello music accompanied the yoga practice, performed by Ithaca College cello teacher Elizabeth Simpkin, 49, of Ithaca, who was also arrested.

“When we practice yoga, we often dedicate our practice each day as an offering to something we love,” reflected Anastasia Benson, 22, a practitioner of Yin Yoga who was arrested, “today we do it for the future of Seneca Lake and the Finger Lakes region.”

“I am here today to stand for clean air and water,” explained Yvonne LaMontagne, 64, of Ithaca. “They are fundamental and necessary components of a healthy natural environment, an environment that my children will need to support and nourish their health and that is needed by all life on the planet.”

They were joined by Charley Bowman, 68, of Getsville, NY. “I heard that [longtime peace activist] Jerry Berrigan passed away this week, and that the funeral is today in Syracuse. Getting arrested standing up for what is right seemed like an appropriate way to honor his life.” Berrigan, 95, was one of three brothers known for their civil disobedience work throughout their lives.

Many of the blockaders and their supporters had also participated in the “Prayer for the Finger Lakes” event on June 21 at Taughannock Park, where over 100 people performed 108 sun salutations to mark the summer solstice and raise money and awareness to benefit Gas Free Seneca, which is fighting the proposed LPG gas storage facility through the regulatory process and courts.

Today’s blockaders held banners that said, “Our lives hang in the balance,” and “Bending over backward to save Seneca Lake.” Blockaders included plenty of balancing and backbend poses such as Vrikshasana (tree pose), Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel), and Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge) along with acroyoga poses Back Flying Bird and High Flying Whale. They also meditated on the concept of Ahimsa (nonviolence), the first of the five ethical precepts of the Yoga Sutra.

“I am here today because big out of town businesses like Crestwood, who are more concerned with profit than common sense, health, or the environment, should not be able to dictate what happens to our region,” explained Kim Knight, 31, of Covert. “Fossil fuels as power should not be being expanded; there are plenty of other renewable ways to create energy and power, and that is what we should be focused on.”

A large empty flatbed truck was blocked at the north gate at 8 a.m. Schuyler County deputies arrested the 10 shortly after 8:30 a.m. at both the North and South gates of the Crestwood property. As before, the protesters were taken into custody, charged with trespassing and released.

The total number of arrests in the nine-month-old civil disobedience campaign now stands at 319, with 270 individuals arrested.

None of the protesters this morning had been previously arrested as part of the We Are Seneca Lake movement, which opposes Crestwood’s plans for methane and LPG storage in lakeside salt caverns and which has been ongoing since October 2014.

Crestwood’s methane gas storage expansion project was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last October in the face of broad public opposition and unresolved questions about geological instabilities, fault lines, and possible salinization of Seneca Lake, which serves as a source of drinking water for 100,000 people.

The ten arrested today were:

Anastasia Benson, 22, Lodi, Seneca County

Charlie Bowman, 68, Getzville, Erie County

David Gallahan, 62, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Loretta Heimbuch, 65, Trumansburg, Tompkins County

William Huston, 54, Binghamton, Broome County

Kim Knight, 31, Covert, Seneca County

Mikayla Kravetz, 22, Poplar Ridge, Cayuga County

Yvonne LaMontagne, 64, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Stacey McNeill, 44, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Elizabeth Simkin, 49, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Read more about the 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.

Read Gannett’s investigative report about the risks and dangers of LPG gas storage: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/local/watchdog/2015/06/26/seneca-gas-storage-debated/29272421/.

Background on the protests:

Protesters have been blocking the Crestwood gas storage facility gates since Thursday, October 23rd, 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. 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 12th.

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/.

Thirteen Finger Lakes Residents Arrested in Civil Disobedience Blockade at Crestwood

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Jul 202015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—July 20, 2015

Media Contact: Sandra Steingraber | 607.351.0719

photos: http://www.wearesenecalake.com/catholic-workers

video: http://www.wearesenecalake.com/video/

Thirteen Finger Lakes Residents Arrested in Civil Disobedience Blockade at Crestwood

Catholic Workers Carry Seven-foot Replica of Pope Francis’ Encyclical on Climate Change as Number of Total Arrests Hits 309

Watkins Glen, NY – In an act of civil disobedience against gas storage in Seneca Lake salt caverns, 13 Finger Lakes residents, led by local members of the Ithaca Catholic Worker Movement, formed a human blockade shortly after sunrise this morning at the north entrance of Crestwood Midstream on Route 14.

Carrying with them a seven-foot-tall replica of Pope Francis’ recent encyclical letter on climate change, Laudato Si! On Care for Our Common Home, they blocked all traffic from entering or leaving.

Schuyler County deputies arrested the 13 shortly after 9:30 a.m. as they sang and read from the Ponitical document. Their recitation continued the read-aloud from the encyclical that began on June 30, as part of earlier blockade that led to the arrests of 19 individuals, and which continued on July 7, as part of an all-day blockade of 11 individuals that resulted in no arrests.

Immediately after their arrest, a large tanker truck labeled “TRADEBE—Emergency Response” sped through the gates. According to the Tradebe website,”TRADEBE’s Emergency Response Team is trained, equipped and ready to respond to Hazmat, Oil Spills and other Emergencies.”

As before, the protesters were taken into custody, charged with trespassing and released.

Today’s blockaders held banners that said, “Catholic Workers Against Crestwood,” “Caring for Our Common Home,” which references the title of the Pope’s letter.

The Catholic Worker Movement was founded by journalist Dorothy Day and social activist Peter Maurin in 1933. Its purpose is to “live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus Christ.”

Delivering a statement on behalf of the Ithaca Catholic Worker Movement, blockader Ellen Grady said, “Today members of the Ithaca Catholic Worker join the Seneca Lake Defenders in their effort to resist the desecration of this beautiful Finger Lakes region. We bring with us a seven and a half foot tall replica of Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si! On Care For Our Common Home, to the gates of Crestwood Gas Storage facility….Creation is a gift from God. It is our duty to care for it and not misuse it.” [Grady’s complete statement is below.]

Barbara Smith, 61, a Catholic Worker, mother of nine children, and dairy farmer from the Town of Lodi in Seneca County, said, “No one has the right to risk damaging this lake in any way for the short term gain of one company. Seneca Lake is only on loan to us but belongs ultimately to God, and we have been charged to protect it for the common good of future generations.”

The total number of arrests in the nine-month-old civil disobedience campaign now stands at 309.

The 13 arrested today were:

Daniel Burns, 55, Ithaca Tompkins County

Rebecca Elgie, 74, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Linda Finlay, 76, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Neil Golder, 69, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Clare Grady, 56, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Ellen Grady, 52, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Joan Jedele, 67, Dryden, Tompkins County

JoAnn Kuentz, 64, Elmira, Chemung County

Arlene Leach-Bizari, 46, Rochester, Monroe County

James Ricks, Ithaca, 65, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Rebecca Schillenback, 40, Caroline, Tompkins County

Barbara Schlierf, 60, Henrietta, Monroe County

Barbara Smith, 61, Lodi, Seneca County

Read more about the 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.

Read Gannett’s investigative report about the risks and dangers of LPG gas storage: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/local/watchdog/2015/06/26/seneca-gas-storage-debated/29272421/.

Ellen Grady’s complete statement on behalf of Ithaca Catholic Worker Movement:

Today members of the Ithaca Catholic Worker Movement join the Seneca Lake Defenders in their effort to resist the desecration of this beautiful Finger Lakes region.

We bring with us a seven and a half foot tall replica of Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si! On Care For Our Common Home, to the gates of Crestwood Gas Storage facility.

Our tradition is to do the works and mercy and oppose the works of war. The works of mercy include not just feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, ransoming the captives, but also healing and nurturing and protecting the earth which has become captive to an ideology of domination for the sake of profit and short-term goals divorced from their natural and social context.

As Peter Maurin, co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement, taught, compassion for all creation is a necessary part of our faith.

We are heartened by Pope Francis’ encyclical, and we share these thoughts from his teaching:

Creation is a gift from God. It is our duty to care for it and not misuse it.
This gift, a shared inheritance, is fragile and at risk from our own recklessness.
The world is a web of relationships sustained by our Creator. Everything is connected.
Technology and the economy cannot be divorced from their larger context which must include the common good.
Lack of concern for the environment is lack of concern for the poor who are already suffering from climate change and will suffer the most as it worsens.
War is a major part of the destruction of creation. We must oppose the works of war.
We must all undergo an ecological conversion for the sake of the poor, for future generations, and for our spiritual health. New habits and new lifestyles are required.
Let’s not wait to act until after the harm is done. We cannot be indifferent. A change of heart is required.

Crestwood’s plans for gas storage at Seneca Lake are a classic example of the false promises of technology (“safe” transport and “safe” storage) and narrow economic analysis which ignores the common good and beauty of this region’s people, lands, waters, creatures. We act today to resist a destructive proposal and to affirm and celebrate and praise the glory and integrity of God’s creation.

Background on the protests:

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Statement from We Are Seneca Lake Attorney Sujata S. Gibson, Esq. in Response to Today’s Reading Town Court Hearings on the Motion to Dismiss in the Interests of Justice

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Jul 142015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, July 14, 2015

media contact: Sandra Steingraber, 607.351.0719

photos: http://www.wearesenecalake.com/motion-to-dismiss/

Statement from We Are Seneca Lake Attorney Sujata S. Gibson, Esq. in Response to Today’s Reading Town Court Hearings on the Motion to Dismiss in the Interests of Justice

“Today, we argued two motions. The first was a motion to enforce the agreement that the Schuyler County District Attorney made to dismiss charges, in the interests of justice, for 84 Seneca Lake protesters. The second was to argue the underlying grounds for the motion to dismiss in the interests of justice.

“In New York, a pretrial agreement made by a District Attorney is an enforceable contract, and our very ability to administer justice depends on people’s ability to have faith that the People will honor their agreements. In this case, there was a clear offer, made on the record and in front of the Judge. The terms were clear. The District Attorney’s office promised that all defendants with violation level charges pending as of March 19, 2015 could have their case dismissed if they signed or read aloud the motion statement stating that though they could not make any promises for anyone else, and reserved the right to act as their own consciences dictated in the future, they did not have a present plan to break the law in future protests.

“During today’s oral arguments, everyone agreed the defendants had complied with their obligations under the agreement and that the only distinguishing factor between these defendants and those who were dismissed was administrative timing. Indeed, the Assistant District Attorney himself repeatedly said that if these defendants had been scheduled to appear on April 15th instead of April 30th, their cases would have been dismissed as planned.

The point of contention was whether the Earth Day arrest of 19 entirely different people, who are not party to this motion and who had never been arrested before, was a valid reason for the District Attorney to revoke the offer. The defendants attorneys stressed that to allow the cases of nineteen unrelated defendants to have any bearing on the case of the 84 before the court would be a gross miscarriage of the fundamental principles of justice.

“Moreover, the agreement of the People was explicitly not contingent on an end to all future arrests. All parties conceded that the agreement had been clear and that it had been explicitly discussed in front of the Judge in court that there was no expectation that the deal would stop all future arrests. In fact, all parties conceded, either directly or by failure to contest, that the discussion expressly contemplated that even some of those defendants making the motion might get rearrested. The District Attorney’s response had been that he still supported the motion to dismiss, but wouldn’t offer any individual defendants support on their motion if they got arrested again after making the individual motion a first time. Attorneys for the defense pointed out that to the extent that these uncontested factual allegations were contested, an evidentiary hearing would be required, and all of us attorneys would need to give sworn testimony.

“However, a favorable decision on the underlying motion to dismiss would negate the need for such a hearing. Mr. Tunney reminded the Judge that though the People had withdrawn their support, it was still within the Judge’s discretion to grant the motions. In fact, he went so far as to suggest it might be not only his right, but his responsibility to do so.

“Attorneys discussed the ten factors that Judges consider on these motions, and how analysis of each factor counsels for dismissal. We also pointed out that the Judge had already appeared to have made his decision on these motions when he granted the original 42 and then ratified that decision each time defendants moved afterwards under the motion language. We urged the Judge to follow his original decision with the remaining co-defendants and grant them their promised dismissals in the interest of justice.

“Judge Berry heard arguments from all attorneys and told us that we could expect a written decision within a few weeks.”

Background

Since October, 296 people from around the Finger Lakes have been arrested on various dates at the gates of Crestwood Midstream as part of peaceful protests against that company’s plans for gas storage in Seneca Lake salt caverns. Last March, Schuyler County District Attorney Joseph Fazzary said that he would not oppose a motion to dismiss “in the interests of justice” for 144 protesters whose cases had not yet been adjudicated. Over the next month, 60 people had their charged so dismissed by four different judges in four different town courts. On April 29, after additional demonstrations on Earth Day (April 22), involving all-new protesters, the DA rescinded his offer and, reversing course, said that he now opposes dismissal for the 84 remaining defendants whose court dates were still pending.

During the Reading Town Court hearing on July 14, three attorneys for the defendants, Sujata Gibson, Joseph Heath, and Gerald Kinchy, made oral arguments.

The full text of the motion for dismissal in the interests of justice:
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.
The 84 defendants from ten different Seneca Lake counties:

Peggy Aker, 57, Trumansburg, Tompkins County
Alicia Alexander, 62, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Daryl Anderson, 61, Hector, Schuyler County
Danielle Angie, 36, Trumansburg, Tompkins County
Thomas Angie, 62, Aurora, Cayuga County
Barbara Barry, 78, Lansing, Tompkins County
Michael Black, 62, Lakemont, Yates County
Carol Bloomgarden, 50, Hector, Schuyler County
Leslie Brack, 47, Ithaca, Tompkins County
John Burger, 56, Dryden, Tompkins County
William Carini, 53, Newfield, Tompkins County
Neil Clifford, 44, Hector, Schuyler County
Alex Colket, 36, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Patricia Darcey-Walsh, 53, Conesus, Livingston County
Phillip Davis, 62, Hector, Schuyler County
Marie De Mott Grady, 29, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Jodi Dean, 52, Geneva, Ontario County
Marty Dodge, 72, Canandaigua, Ontario County
Josh Dolan, 37, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Alexandra Doniger, 26, Hector, Schuyler County
Marge Ehly, 64, Hector, Schuyler County
Elisa Evett, 69, Brooktondale, Tompkins County
Jessica Evett-Miller, 36, Brooktondale, Tompkins County
Paula Fitzsimmons, 57, Hector, Schuyler County
Daniel Flerlage, 63, Enfield, Tompkins County
Celeste Froehlich, 37, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Chrys Gardener, 53, Newfield, Tompkins County
Leah Grady Sayvetz, 25, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Mimi Gridley, 59, Glenora, Yates County
Cynthia Gorham-Crevelling, 67, Keuka Park, Yates County
Becca Harber, 64, Newfied, Tompkins County
Ellen Harrison, 66, Caroline, Tompkins County
Jennifer Johnson, 68, Corning, Steuben County
Sabrina Johnston, 48, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Sue Kinchy, 68, Brooktondale, Tompkins County
Dave Kunath, 37, Elmira Heights, Chemung County
Pamela Mackesey, 69, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Ilona Marmer, 68, Montour Falls, Schuyler County
Margaret McCasland, 68, Lansing, Tompkins County
Edith McCrea, 46, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Kevin McKinzey, 40, Trumansburg, Tompkins County
Nancy Medsker, 59, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Maryl Mendillo, Aurora, Cayuga County
Nancy Miller, 68, Dryden, Tompkins County
Andrew Moore, 38, Trumansburg, Tompkins County
Mariana Morse, 66, Caroline, Tompkins County
Rosie Newton, 27, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Edward Nizalowski, 67, Newark Valley, Tioga County
Daphne Nolder, Hector, Schuyler County
Jean Olivett, 68, Ithaca, Tompkins County
William Ouweleen, 40, Conensus, Livingston County
Barbara Pease, 68, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Judith Pierpont, 70, Dryden, Tompkins County
Terri Radke, 61, Corning, Steuben County
Warren Radke, 63, Lodi, Seneca County
Hope Rainbow, 24, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Anna Redmond, 30, Trumansburg, Tompkins County
Asa Redmond, 40, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Ian Remmers, 24, Hector, Schuyler County
Robert Rossi, 42, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Jane Russell, 64, Pulteney, Steuben County
David Sanchez, 26, Rochester, Monroe County
Sarah Schantz, 61, Odessa, Schuyler County
Sue Schwartz, 38, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Thomas Seaney, 65, Ithaa, Tompkins County
Charlotte Senders, 18, Trumansburg, Tompkins County
Gabriel Shapiro, 18, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Anne Sierigk, 57, Hector, Schuyler County
Jessie Smith, 24, Burdett, Schuyler County
Richard Stearns, 54, Trumansburg, Tompkins County
Martha Stettinius, 50, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Susan Thomas-Wolfanger, 48, Trumansburg, Tompkins County
Seth Thomas, 34, Lodi, Seneca County
Jess Thorpe, 31, Hector, Schuyler County
John Tornow, 69, Seneca, Ontario County
Lisa Trent, 41, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Peter Tringali, 62, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Julia Abernathy Uticone, 40, Cayutaville, Schuyler County
Irene Weiser, 56, Caroline, Tompkins County
Jens Wennberg, 79, Dryden, Tompkins County
John A. Wertis, 81, Trumansburg, Tompkins County
Kathleen Wilcox, 70, Ithaca, Tompkins County
Ahrayna Susan Zakos, 39, Ithaa, Tompkins County
Jan Zeseron, Ulysses, Tompkins County

Read more about the 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.
Read Gannett’s investigative report about the risks and dangers of LPG gas storage: http://www.pressconnects.com/longform/news/local/watchdog/2015/06/26/seneca-gas-storage-debated/29272421/

Clergy and People of Faith Arrested in Civil Disobedience Blockade at Crestwood Midstream

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Jun 302015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—June 30, 2015

Media Contact: Sandra Steingraber | 607.351.0719

photos: http://www.wearesenecalake.com/photos-faith/

video: http://www.wearesenecalake.com/video/

Clergy and People of Faith Arrested in Civil Disobedience Blockade at Crestwood Midstream

Protesters Read from Pope Francis Encyclical on Climate Change; Rev. Jane Winters, Former Reading Resident, Among 17 Arrested

Watkins Glen, NY – In an act of civil disobedience, 17 gas storage protesters led by former Reading Center resident Reverend Jane Winters, formed a human blockade shortly after sunrise this morning at the north entrance of Crestwood Midstream on Route 14. The participants, from ten counties across New York State, included members of Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and Islamic faiths.

All 17 were arrested shortly before 8 a.m. by Schuyler County deputies, taken into custody, charged with trespassing, and released.

The blockaders held banners that said “People of Faith Against Crestwood: Because Creation,” and “The Climate is a Common Good,” which references Pope Francis’ recent encyclical letter on climate change

Protesters were reading aloud from the Pope’s encyclical at the time of their arrest. When the arresting officer ordered them to drop the document, they sang and prayed.

None of the protesters this morning had been previously arrested as part of the We Are Seneca Lake movement, which opposes Crestwood’s plans for methane storage expansion in lakeside salt caverns and which has been ongoing since October 2014.

The total number of arrests now stands at 296 in the eight-month-old civil disobedience campaign.

Presbyterian minister Reverend Jane Winters said, “From the first book of the Bible, Genesis, and continuing through the Hebrew scriptures and the Christian scriptures, God calls God’s children to take care of the earth that has been entrusted to them. We frequently refer to this as being good stewards of creation. The project that Crestwood plans to expand through its Arlington subsidiary and then doubling-down with putting propane and butane in adjacent caverns does not represent good stewardship of creation. The highest calling of a Christian is to love God and love neighbor. I am out here today because I love God, especially through God’s creation, and I love my neighbors, especially the ones who live here in Reading Center where I lived for 13 years.”

Areil Gold, 40, of Ithaca said, “The Torah, the Holy Scripture of the Jewish people, instructs us to make decisions that will allow the communities of the future generations to continue to live. I consider actions that threaten life on this earth, such as the storage of explosive gasses in the fragile salt caverns of Seneca Lake, a violation of this commandment. The potential short-term profits for Crestwood are not worth the risk of the degradation and destruction of our environment and life itself. In our prophetic tradition, it is not enough to speak out against this threat to our communities and ecosystem–we must pray with our feet, as Rabbi Joshua Heschel demonstrated during the Civil Rights movement in the United States.

Kevin Kunster, 60, Copake Falls, Columbia County, said, “With the scientific information we now have at hand, to do nothing is to be guilty of indifference and perhaps complicity.”

Those arrested today were:

Mike Bucci, 67, Walton, Delaware County

Tricia Campbell, 72, Wolcott, Wayne County

Hannah Dickinson, 33, Geneva, Ontario County

Andrew Feron, 51, Cottekill, Ulster County

Martha Fischer, 58, Enfield, Tompkins County

Arthur Godin, 66, Enfield, Tompkins County

Ariel Gold, 40, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Ben Guthrie, 63, Interlaken, Seneca County

Larry Hirschberger, 60, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Kevin Kuenster, 60, Copake Falls, Columbia County

Steve Marcus, 60, Arkport, Steuben County

Janet McCue, 65, Hector, Schuyler County

Victoria Rasmussen, 43, Valois, Schuyler County

Dianne Roe, 72, Corning, Steuben County

Ryan Solomons, 23, New Paltz, Ulster County

Camille Tischler, 67, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Reverend Jane Winters, 62, Elmira, Chemung County

Read more about the 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.

Read Gannett’s investigative report about the risks and dangers of LPG gas storage: http://www.pressconnects.com/longform/news/local/watchdog/2015/06/26/seneca-gas-storage-debated/29272421/

Background on the protests:

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Health Care Professionals Arrested in Civil Disobedience Blockade at Crestwood Midstream

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Jun 012015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—JUNE 1, 2015

Media Contact: Sandra Steingraber | 607.351.0719

photos: http://www.wearesenecalake.com/community-health /

Health Care Professionals Arrested in Civil Disobedience Blockade at Crestwood Midstream

Local Doctor, Midwives, Nurses Among 7 Arrested; Protesters Call Gas Storage at Seneca Lake a Public Health Menace

Watkins Glen, NY – Wearing surgical scrubs and lab coats, seven gas storage protesters led by area healthcare professionals—including family physician doctor Susan Soboroff, MD, midwife Monica Daniel, CNM, LM, OB-GYN nurse Mary Menapace, and psychiatric nurse practitioner Denise Kooperman, formed a human blockade shortly before 7:30 a.m. this morning at the north entrances of Crestwood Midstream on Route 14 and prevented all traffic from entering or leaving the site. It was an act of civil disobedience.

All seven were arrested at 8 AM by Schuyler County deputies, taken into custody, charged with both trespassing and disorderly conduct, and released.

The blockaders held banners that said, “Health Care Providers (& Patients) Against Crestwood” and “Our Health is Not Negotiable.”

Twenty other health providers and patients rallied near the highway at the site.

The total number of arrests now stands at 279 in the seven-month-old civil disobedience campaign. In addition, at least 133 Seneca Lake Defenders have successfully blockaded for an entire day without being arrested.

Mary Menapace, RN, delivered a short speech while blockading a truck attempting to exit, saying, “As a nurse, I work with pregnant women and children. There is a growing body of evidence, in a large part coming out of Colorado, suggesting that living near oil and gas build-out poses significant health risks. We know that all gas infrastructure is a leaky, messy business. We know the toxins, we know the devastating health effects of those toxins. I stand here for my patients, for my friends, for my daughters, and for the women and children and families who live here in the Glen. Message to Crestwood: Go Home to Texas. And evolve.”

Susan Soboroff, MD, said, “My kids and grandkids lives depend on what happens in this moment. I’m not giving this place up without a fight. The health of this region depends on what goes on here. We could lose the water supply for a whole region. That’s a public health crisis. That’s a crime.”

Monica Daniel, RN, CNM, LM, said, “I used to live in Watkins Glen, and Seneca Lake is precious to me. As a nurse-midwife, I am here to represent moms and babies and future generations to come. Pregnant moms and unborn babies need clean water.”

Denise Kooperman, NP, MACS, said, “I have lived in this area for 34 years and have raised four children here. I am also a psychiatric nurse practitioner and know that this facility is good for no one’s mental and emotional health. No one should live with the anxiety of impending accidents, gas leaks, and water contamination.”

Those arrested today were:

Marie Ely Baumgardner, 67, Burdett, Schuyler County

Monica Daniel, RN, CNM, LM, 54 Enfield, Tompkins County

Jacke Jablonski, 69, Ithaca, Tompkins County,

Denise Kooperman,NP, MACS, 68 Trumansburg, Tompkins County

Mary Menapace, 55, Skaneateles, Onondaga County

Susan Soberoff, MD, Ulysses, Tompkins County

Louise Sullivan-Blum, 54, Corning, Steuben County

Read more about the 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.

Background on the protests:

# # #

Renewable Energy Builders Arrested in Civil Disobedience Blockade at Crestwood Midstream

Press Kit Comments Off

May 132015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—May 13, 2015

Media Contact: Sandra Steingraber | 607.351.0719

photos: http://www.wearesenecalake.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/IMG_4533.jpg [Josh Fox arrest]

http://www.wearesenecalake.com/renewable-action

video: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjhV8mcj7hXVb1SZbfXSs6njmdhrX415q

Renewable Energy Builders Arrested in Civil Disobedience Blockade at Crestwood Midstream

Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, Josh Fox, Arrested with Renewable Energy Business Leaders; Renovus Solar Offers Full-Time Jobs to Crestwood Workers; Protesters Call for Halt to Further Fossil Fuel Build-Out at Seneca Lake

Watkins Glen, NY – In an act of civil disobedience, gas storage protesters led by leaders of the renewable energy movement—including Renovus Solar CEO Joe Sliker—and Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, Josh Fox, formed a human blockade this morning at both entrances of Crestwood Midstream on Route 14 and prevented all traffic from entering or leaving the site.

All 21 people were arrested just before noon by Schuyler County deputies and Village of Watkins Glen Police, taken into custody, charged with trespassing, and released.

At part of the demonstration, Renovus Solar—a local renewal energy company—set up an outdoor “help wanted” desk directly outside of Crestwood’s gates. Staffed by Renovus’ manager of human resources, Tiffany Walker, the display advertised job openings in the company and offered applications. Renovus created 50 full-time permanent jobs last year alone and is currently hiring.

The blockaders held banners that said, “Renewable Energy Builders Against Crestwood: Whatever Gas Can Do, We Can Do Better” and “The Fossil Fuel Party is Over. Vacate Premises Immediately.”

Arrestees included singer and long-time renewable energy advocate, Bethany Yarrow and cellist Rufus Cappadocia, of the New York City musical duo “Bethany and Rufus,” who led blockaders in song before and during arrests.

In a speech made while blockading a truck, Sliker announced that local small business in the thriving renewable energy industry were now joining the fight against Crestwood—just as local wineries had done before them.

Cornell University climate scientist, Robert Howarth, was on hand to address the blockaders and emphasized that the regional opposition to gas storage in Seneca Lake salt caverns reflects a growing commitment to a thriving renewable Finger Lakes and is part of a nationwide rejection of a backwards-looking fossil fuel industry whose air pollution along was responsible for more than 4,000 deaths per year in New York State.

The total number of arrests now stands at 272 in the seven-month-old civil disobedience campaign.

Joe Sliker, CEO of Renovus Energy, said, “Solar is rapidly expanding and Renovus is a thriving regional business. In contrast to the eight to ten permanent jobs created by the gas storage facility, Renovus has added over 50 new, permanent jobs—just in the last year alone. And we are adding more every single day. These are real, good jobs. We pay better wages. It’s safer. We offer full benefits, and paid time off, and we respect our team. We value the whole of the region and the region’s economy which is why its so important to us that our business compliment the existing economies, what it’s taken generations to build, not undercut it, as Crestwood would do. We value our employees, we value our neighbors and encourage families throughout the Finger Lakes to choose a more prosperous path forth.” [Full statement below.]

Josh Fox said, “I’m here to support my friends and my community who are protecting Seneca Lake from underground gas storage. It’s an incredibly important location – drinking water for 100,000 people part of a microclimate that supports distilleries, wineries, breweries and agriculture. I’m here primarily though because this is a fracking site. We have to stop fracking all across America, wherever it is going to be… I’m also here to say the regulatory agency, which is FERC – the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission – which is just 5 people who are appointed by the President- is really acting like a subsidiary of the fossil fuel industry masquerading as a government agency. FERC has to be overhauled. FERC is a disaster….So today is very important because it is a national moment. It is a very clear message….We want renewable energy, and not these kinds of crazy projects.”

Krys Cail, 62, of Ulysses, and a co-organizer of a shared solar energy cooperative and one of the arrested blockaders, said, “New York State, through its Public Service Commission, is launching the REV (Reforming the Energy Vision) process, by which our state will move rapidly into the new era of renewable energy. Now is not the time to build dangerous and polluting fossil fuel storage that will look, down the road just a few years, like promoting a buggy-whip factory while competitors introduced the automobile. Renewable energy is the future– and the companies and cooperatives making renewable energy available to us can create many, many more jobs in our state than fossil fuels do. For the jobs, for the safety of our residents and businesses, and for Seneca Lake, we need to ramp up renewables as we ramp DOWN fossil fuels.”

Those arrested today were:

Gordon Bonnet, 54, Trumansburg, Tompkins County

Dan Burgevin, 68, Trumansburg, Tompkins County

Rufus Cappadocia, 47, Brooklyn, Kings County

Krys Cail, 62, Ulysses, Tompkins County

Greg Copeland, 54, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Lauren Eastwood, 45, Plattsburgh, Clinton County

Lisa Fernandez, 48, Burdett, Schuyler County

Josh Fox, 43, Brooklyn, Kings County

John Hoffman, 62, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Colleen Kattau, 56, Cortland, Cortland County

Bill Kitchen, 62, Johnstown, Fulton County

Keith Liblick, 41, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Jon McNamara, 34, Owego, Tioga County

Amanda Postma, 30, Lodi, Seneca County

Johnno Potts, 34, Hector, Schuyler County

Joe Sliker, 33, Ulysses, Tompkins County

Phil Terrie, 66, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Michele VanCoppenolle, 62, Penn Yan, Yates County

Bethany Yarrow, 44, West Fulton, Schoharie County

Ken Zeserson, 67, Ulysses, Tompkins County

Lee Ziesche, 25, Brooklyn, Kings County

Read more about the 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.

Complete Statement of Renovus Solar CEO Joe Sliker:

I’m Joe Sliker. I’m the President and CEO of Renovus Solar, and I’m risking arrest today at the gates of the Crestwood gas storage facility on Seneca Lake.

We know from experience across the country, from similar gas storage facilities and fracking operations in general, that storing massive amounts of highly pressurized, explosive gases in old salt caverns is risky. These facilities carry with them inherent dangers; to local residents and the environment, and perhaps most of all, for the workers themselves.

Additionally, this gas storage facility threatens the community character and the economy of the entire region.

In contrast, the solar industry complements the existing, thriving & growing winery and tourism industries. Solar is cleaner, safer, and a more prosperous path forth for families and even for all of the Crestwood employees.

So, I’m here today for all of the good men and women who risk their lives every single day for their jobs. I’m here for the welders, the pipe fitters, the electricians, the truckers, and all of the hard working people who go to work every day to provide for their families. I’m here for those people who lay their lives on the line every morning when they wake up, for those people whose hands bleed while they work, and for the families that love and worry about them.

I’m here to offer them a choice. I’m here to tell them that we don’t have to support a dangerous facility and risk our lives and the lives of our loved ones in order to have good paying jobs.

I’m here to offer all of those people a Better Job. Today. Right now. Our Renovus HR manager is here with a stack of applications. Come talk to us.

Solar is rapidly expanding and Renovus is a thriving regional business. In contrast to the eight to ten permanent jobs promised by the gas storage facility, Renovus has added over 50 new, permanent jobs just in the past year. And we are adding more every single day. These are real, good jobs. We pay better wages. It’s safer. We offer full benefits, and paid time off, and we respect our team.

We value the whole of the region and the region’s economy which is why its so important to us that our business compliment the existing economies, what its taken generations to build, not undercut it, as Crestwood would do. We value our employees, we value our neighbors and encourage families throughout the Finger Lakes to choose a more prosperous path forth.

Background on the protests:

# # #

Bird Watchers Blockade at Crestwood Midstream

Press Kit, Uncategorized Comments Off

May 122015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—May 12, 2015

Media Contact: Sandra Steingraber | 607.351.0719

photos: http://www.wearesenecalake.com/nature-lovers/

video: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjhV8mcj7hXXgfFD4MMAMqWwhfGc3liso

Bird Watchers Blockade at Crestwood Midstream

Protesters Call for Halt to Gas Storage Expansion at Seneca Lake and for Protection of Important Flyway for Migrating Birds

Watkins Glen, NY – In an act of civil disobedience—and accompanied by a human-sized yellow-bellied sapsucker and an eight-foot indigo bunting puppet—six binocular-wielding bird watchers blockaded both entrances of Crestwood Midstream on Route 14 for six hours today. Protesters held a banner that said, “Birds Against Crestwood, Defending Our Habitat.” No arrests were made.

A dozen other Finger Lakes residents rallied along Route 14, wearing bird masks and holding signs and banners.

The protesters birdwatched while blockading and counted more than 30 species during their blockade. Highlights included a bald eagle and a Tennessee warbler. Using the cell phone app called Birdlog, the civil disobedients fed their birding data into bird, a worldwide, online database where birders can enter their sightings.

The total number of arrests is 251 in the seven-month-old civil disobedience campaign.

Seneca Lake is a key stopover on the Atlantic flyway for migrating waterfowl and songbirds. It offers many habitats and is world-renowned for birdwatching.

According to the National Audubon Society, half of all North American bird species are now at risk for extinction due to climate change.

Protester and marketing analysis Jonathan Cook, age 43, of Trumansburg in Tompkins County, said, “Every spring and autumn I love to watch the migrating birds. Seneca Lake is a major flyway for migration. We have to treat the Finger Lakes with respect. We can’t risk contaminating this lake with gas or brine.”

Protester and public artist Dan Burgevin, age 68, of Trumansburg in Tompkins County, said, “One in two bird species is on the path to extinction due to fossil fuels. Song birds and warblers are chief among them. And methane, which is what Crestwood wants to compress and store here, is one of the most powerful climate change gases. I have two great-grandchildren. For them to never hear the sound of a yellow throated warbler is a tragedy. DIrty gas storage at Seneca Lake is part of the climate tragedy. I am here to change the tragic story.”

Those blockading today were:

Dan Burgevin, 68, Trumansburg, Tompkins County

Jonathan Cook, 43, Trumansburg, Tompkins County

Martha Fischer, 58, Enfield, Tompkins County

Richard Hoyt, 65, Geneva, Ontario County

Frank Potter, 72, Big Flats, Chemung County

Regi Teasley, 63, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Read more about the 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.

Background on the protests:

# # #

Sixteen Mothers and Grandmothers Arrested This Morning in Blockade at Crestwood Midstream

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May 072015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—May 7, 2015

Media Contact: Sandra Steingraber | 607.351.0719

photos: http://www.wearesenecalake.com/mothers-photos-2015/

Sixteen Mothers and Grandmothers Arrested This Morning

in Blockade at Crestwood Midstream

Mother’s Day-themed Protest Calls for Halt to Gas Infrastructure Build-Out to Protect the Future of Children

Watkins Glen, NY – In an act of civil disobedience, sixteen women from six Finger Lakes-area counties—including one who is pregnant—created a human blockade this morning at both of the gated entrances of Crestwood Midstream. Holding banners that said, “Happy Mother’s Day! Honoring Mother Earth” and “Mothers Against Crestwood: Because I Said So, That’s Why,” protesters prevented all traffic from entering or leaving the gates before their arrests shortly after 11 a.m. by Schuyler County Sheriff’s deputies and NY state troopers.

None of the protesters arrested this morning had been previously arrested as part of the We Are Seneca Lake movement, which opposes Crestwood’s plans for methane storage expansion in lakeside salt caverns and which has been ongoing since October 2014.

Today’s arrests mark the first since April 22 and bring the total number of arrests to 251 in the seven-month-old civil disobedience campaign.

Thirty other Finger Lakes residents rallied along Route 14, holding signs and banners with Mother’s Day messages and decrying fossil fuel build-out as a direct threat to their children.

Arrested protesters were transported to the Schuyler County Sheriff’s department, charged with trespassing, and released.

Protester Abigail McHugh-Grifa, 35, of Rochester in Monroe County, said, “I have a 16-month old son and I’m pregnant. If I’m going to create life, it’s my responsibility to protect it too. I’m very concerned about the climate and for my children’s future. The more money we invest in fossil fuel infrastructure, the deeper we dig ourselves in. I want to do what I can to speed the transition to renewables. So, I’m here doing what I can.”

“Jane Atkin, 68, of Ithaca said, “I have a grandson who is 14. I have two kids, one who lives in Colorado and one who lives in Ithaca. I figure if one lake goes, all the lakes go. And I can’t let that happen. So I’m stepping out and doing what I really believe today.”

Those arrested today were:

Jane Atkin, 67, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Tobi Feldman, 48, Ithaca, Tompkins

Gwen Hughes,

79, Rochester, Monroe County

Susan Hughes-Smith, 43, Rochester, Monroe County

Barbara Kazyaka, 52, Spencer, Tioga County

Anna Kelles, 41, Ithaca,Tompkins County

Neely Kelley, 37, Monroe County

Susan Kelley, 49, Hector, Schuyler County

Rachel Kennedy, 39, Tompkins County

Mary Krywe (Meg), 57, Arkport, Allegany County

Kate Lamarre,

39, Trumansburg, Tompkins County

Abigail McHugh-Grifa, 35, Rochester, Monroe County

Mary Moore, 71, Monroe County

Jan Quarles, 62, Ovid, Seneca County

Valorie Rockney, 70, Ithaca, Tompkins

Jennifer Wapinski-Mooradian, 42, 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.

Background on the protests:

# # #

Statement from We Are Seneca Lake Attorney Sujata S. Gibson, Esq. in Response to District Attorney Fazzary

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May 052015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 5, 2015

media contact: Sujata S. Gibson, Esq. | 607. 327. 3284

Sujata S. Gibson, Esq.

Statement from We Are Seneca Lake Attorney Sujata S. Gibson, Esq. in Response to District Attorney Fazzary

We understand the District Attorney intends to revoke his offer of support for the remaining mass dismissals of the protest charges. We are surprised and disappointed by this decision and will be addressing it in court, as there is a question about whether such a prosecutorial reversal of a voluntary offer made on the record is appropriate under law.

None of the remaining defendants who were offered the District Attorney’s support in their motions to dismiss has violated any tenant of their agreement with the prosecution. Under the plain language of the offer, all of the 84 remaining defendants who were supposed to have their cases dismissed last week complied with their end of the bargain.

The agreed upon language that formed of the basis of the motion to dismiss in the interest of justice was explicit and encompasses the entirety of the agreement. [Complete text below.] The only “promise” anyone made in that motion was that, as each person made this motion, each movant had no present intention of breaking the law as they continued to protest, though they each reserved the right to act as their conscience dictated going forward.

Contrary to certain allusions that we’ve seen in the press attributed to Mr. Fazzary, there were no other promises or assurances made by any member of the legal team. We attorneys made it clear on the record and off that the defendants were not promising even for themselves that there would be no more arrests, leave aside making an impossible claim that non-movants would never be arrested protesting. The District Attorney acknowledged in court that he understood this and indicated that each person should be aware that the offer of support for each defendant would be extended only once each– if anyone made the motion and got rearrested, they would have to go to trial the next time. He explicitly reserved a decision on whether people who were arrested for the first time after the offer was made would also be supported in a motion to dismiss and warned that new arrestees after March 18^th may not get an offer of support for dismissal. However, he was quite clear that all those with charges pending as of March 18^th would be supported in their motions to dismiss on all the charges pending. This is the extent of any “deal” that was made. The prosecution asked the remaining defendants to submit notarized statements saying the same, and they did. None of the movants have been rearrested. We were scheduled to hold the last of the dismissals on April 30^th, 2015, when the District Attorney announced that he was revoking support and seeking an adjournment.

The arrest of nineteen non-movants on Earth Day should have no bearing on the offer extended to the eighty four defendants with pending offers to support dismissals. Four Judges have now granted the dismissals in the interests of justice, including Judge Berry, who will be hearing the motions for the remaining 84 or so who were originally offered support. There is nothing that separates these 84 from the 60 that got the dismissals, other than that their court dates were scheduled later, and we hope the Judge will be consistent in his ruling for them, with or without the prosecution’s support.

Background

News stories:

“DA: Seneca Protest Leaders Didn’t Follow Pact’s Terms,” May 1

“Charges Won’t be Dropped for 84 Crestwood Protesters,” April 30

“19 New Protesters, Including 7 from Tompkins, Arrested at Crestwood’s Gates,” April 22

“New York Winemakers Fight Gas Storage Plan Near Seneca Lake,” New York Times, Dec. 25

Full text of the Motion to Dismiss in the Interests of Justice:

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.

# # #

Statement by We Are Seneca Lake about District Attorney Rescinding Crestwood Arrest Dismissals

Press Kit Comments Off

Apr 302015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2015

contact: Sandra Steingraber | 607. 351. 0719

Statement by We Are Seneca Lake about District Attorney Rescinding Crestwood Arrest Dismissals

Yesterday (April 29), Schuyler County District Attorney Joseph Fazzary rescinded his support for the dismissal of 84 Seneca Lake protesters that was to take place today. Previously, the District Attorney has, along with the local judges, dropped the charges for 60 protesters “in the interests of justice.” A month ago, District Attorney Fazzary had made an agreement to dismiss the remaining 84 Seneca Lake protesters in the same fashion.

We understand that the District Attorney says that he has withdrawn the promised offer because 19 new community members blocked the gates of Crestwood in a peaceful act of civil disobedience on Earth Day (April 22). Those people, between the ages of 49 and 76, had not been arrested prior and were not party to any of the dismissals in the offer.

We Are Seneca Lake is surprised by the sudden change in plan, but, more than that, concerned about the allegation that any of us have gone back on our word. There has never been any promise that there would be no more protests or even more arrests. We and our legal advisors have been very clear, in Court and out, that the extent of our promise was what we committed to in the statement we negotiated. That statement, in full, which the District Attorney expressly agreed to, is as follows:

No one has violated the terms of the dismissal, in spirit or in letter. The motion to dismiss is a statement we all hold in very high regard, and, without exception, all defendants take its ennobling words very seriously. The eagerness of defendants to recite the motion, en masse, in ceremonial fashion in court testifies to our commitment.

Over 144 people were given the offer to dismiss in the interests of justice so long as they could stand by this statement. At this writing, 60 have had their dismissals, and the only thing that separates them from the remaining 84 that were scheduled to be dismissed this evening is that the first 60 people had the luck of having an appearance date scheduled sooner than today’s defendants.

We are concerned about the implications of revoking offers for the 84 remaining based on the actions of 19 unrelated people. We are all individuals and believe that it is our right to be treated as such by the courts. We have never promised there would be no more protests, or no arrests. And we could not make that promise even if we wanted to. It is each citizen’s right to protest under the First Amendment, and our role, to the extent that We Are Seneca Lake is an organized group, is to train and organize people and groups that want to protest so that if they protest, whether risking arrest or not, they know how to do it so that the protest is peaceful and nonviolent, and there is cooperation with law enforcement.

Background

The Earth Day blockade, the first since February 11, brought the total number of arrests to 235 in the six-month-old civil disobedience campaign, which opposes Crestwood’s plans for methane storage expansion in lakeside salt caverns.

Public opposition to Crestwood’s dangerous plans is growing, as evidenced by the now 24 municipal resolutions against its gas storage at Seneca Lake.

The daily news is full of reports and imagery of exploding gas lines, derailed bomb trains, and communities injured by gas infrastructure. Three days before Earth Day, a natural gas pipeline in Fresno exploded, injuring 11 and closing a major highway. The day before Earth Day, the New York Times ran an expose about the danger of bomb trains rolling through NYS communities carrying highly flammable fuels, of the type that will be riding the rails through Watkins Glen State Park to service the Seneca Lake salt caverns.

Crestwood is a Texas-based energy company with a terrible track record for safety that is willing to play Russian roulette with our drinking water. It is little wonder that new groups of people feel morally compelled to take non-violent action based on these reports and their own individual conscience—having exhausted all other legal recourse.

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