If you read my letter of desperation to comedian John Oliver, you’ve got a basic understanding of the hazards and hypocrisy of fracked gas infrastructure and FERC, the agency that is supposed to be regulating pipelines.
I wrote a short piece on my blog last fall about FERC, what it is and why you should care. Once you realize that regulatory agencies like FERC are simply lapdogs for the industry they are supposed to regulate, it gets harder to sleep at night.
FERC issued its “Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity” (how’s that for a mouthful?! ) for the Algonquin pipeline project yesterday. They gave the green light to this pipeline despite serious safety and security issues raised by nuclear and pipeline experts, elected officials and the public.
A phone call gets more results than a text or email. Whether it’s your kids or a Senator!
I, for one, will not take this lying down! I, along with many, many other folks am picking up the phone to register my strong objections.
I have the phone numbers of my two Senators, the Governor and my Congressional representative programmed into my phone. It feels good to call them and let them know when they did something right. It feels even better, therapeutic I would say, to call them when they are not doing their duty. After all, these elected officials are supposed to be representing my best interests along with the health and safety of my community. That is how it is supposed to be, anyway.
Imagine the look of surprise as my teenage daughter came into the kitchen this morning and I was on the phone leaving a message with the folks at Homeland Security! It seems to me that a 42″ high pressure potentially catastrophic flammable, explosive pipeline within spitting distance to the aging Indian Point nuke plant is a huge national security risk. Did FERC even check in with them about this boondoggle?
Here’s a list of elected officials here in NY. I urge you to pick up the phone and call them about this pipeline situation. Tell them how concerned you are about health and safety. Ask them to make a public statement about FERC’s failure to protect people.
US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand 845-875-4585
US Senator Charles Schumer 914-734-1532
Congresswoman Nita Lowey 914-428-1707 or 845-639-3485
Congressman Eliot Engel 914-699-4100
Congressman Sean Maloney 845-561-1259
Governor Andrew Cuomo 518-474-8390
Secretary Jeh Johnson, Department of Homeland Security 202-282-8000 (ask to be connected to comment line/voice mail)
Speak up! Even if your voice shakes, it is essential that we all speak up in the face of injustice and danger.
For more information on the Algonquin pipeline expansion here in NY, check out my pals at SAPE (Stop the Algonquin Pipeline Expansion)
