Apr 162013
 

MEDIA ALERT

For Immediate Release                                                                      April 15, 2013

Contacts: Jack Ossont 607-243-7262sandhill1@frontier.net

     Chris Tate 607-351-3768ctate@lightlink.com

Three Peaceful Protesters Including Dr. Sandra Steingraber to Face Judge Wed. Evening

Press event and rally will be held in Watkins Glen before 7 PM arraignment.                      

Who:  Melissa Chipman, Michael Dineen, and Sandra Steingraber, PhD, of the Seneca Lake 12

What: Press Event 5:00 pm, Glen Harbor/Seneca Harbor Station Marina Park, south end of Seneca Lake off of N. Decatur St., Watkins Glen

            Rally 5:30 pmSame location

            Hearing 7:00 pmReading Town Court, 3914 Co. Rd 28, Watkins Glen

When: Wednesday April 17, 2013, Three events, two locations, see above

The three defendants will explain their decision to engage in civil disobedience and announce their further intentions at a press event/rally before their court appearances. Both events will be held in the park next to the marina in the Glen Harbor area of Watkins Glen, beginning at 5 PM.

The hearing will take place in Reading Town Court at 7:00 pm and will include the arraignment of biologist and author Sandra Steingraber, PhD, distinguished scholar in residence at Ithaca College and a prominent critic of fracking and its related infrastructure, along with Schuyler County resident and businesswoman Melissa Chipman and Seneca County resident and farm owner Michael Dineen.

Background

The “Seneca Lake 12” were arrested on March 18 for blockading the gas compressor station site at the southwest end of Seneca Lake. They did so to demonstrate their opposition to the intentions of Inergy, LLC, a Missouri-based company, to force industrialization of a lake that serves as the source of drinking water for 100,000 people—and eventually the entire Finger Lakes region.

Without consent from local affected communities, Inergy plans to turn the region into a fossil fuel transportation and storage hub for the Northeast. This threatens public health and safety, and would adversely affect the local tourist and agricultural economy. The protesters foresee that this is an early step in a build-out of infrastructure to support the distribution of shale gas from fracking, a dubious method of extreme energy extraction which has had myriad toxic consequences in other states.

Five of the Seneca Lake 12 have already appeared in court and were ordered to pay fines of $375 each. The previous arrestees paid their fines, with the financial support of the local community.

Further background, video, photos, quotes, http://ourfutureisunfractured.wordpress.com/

The next three Seneca Lake 12 defendants will appear in Reading Town Court on May 1.

Contact

For Melissa Chipman and Michael Dineen: Jack Ossont 607-243-7262,sandhill1@frontier.net

For Sandra Steingraber: Chris Tate 607-351-3768ctate@lightlink.com