While utilities threaten moratoriums and Trump pushes pipelines, communities demand Gov. Cuomo act on a Green New Deal, reject the Williams NESE ahead of April 18th march
NYCC’s Patrick Houston, Nikita Scott with Surfrider-NYC, and 350BK’s Robert Wood at today’s hearing
New York, NY — This morning, New Yorkers testified at a City Council hearing to stop the Williams fracked gas pipeline and urge a just transition to a Green New Deal for all New Yorkers. Today’s Committee for Environmental Protection hearing, led by Chair Costa Constantinides and Speaker Corey Johnson, saw passionate and visionary testimonies from community members, bold leadership from Council officials, and half-baked arguments from utility executives.
This comes days after Donald Trump signed two executive orders, which attempt to plow through pipeline permitting, and limit states’ decision-making power on such projects, including the Williams NESE pipeline.
“We can stop Donald Trump’s scheme to build more oil and gas pipelines across the country right here in the New York harbor,” said Laura Shindell, Food & Water Watch organizer and member of the Stop the Williams Pipeline coalition. “The Council is taking a firm stand today to protect our climate and our ocean ecology. It’s up to Governor Cuomo to finish the job by saying no to the Williams fracked gas pipeline.”
Williams Company is proposing a 23-mile-long “Northeast Supply Enhancement” (NESE) from New Jersey through the New York Harbor, passing a mile and a half from Staten Island and the Rockaways, the very communities still recovering from Superstorm Sandy over six years later. Accidents-prone Williams pipelines and facilities have killed 6 people and injured 102 people over the last 10 years.
Utility and fossil fuel executives were present at the hearing with threats to “move quickly on a gas moratorium” if NESE is rejected, echoing statements from late last Friday and joining the warnings of National Grid. Reports from InsideClimate News show that, like Exxon, utilities knew about climate change decades ago.
“It’s beyond disturbing to see utilities hold New Yorkers’ energy needs hostage if we don’t let them frack our communities,” Lee Ziesche with Sane Energy Project and the Stop the Williams Pipeline Coalition. “While utility executives attempt to claim we have no choices beyond gas, we know fracked gas is simply a bridge to further climate chaos.”
Testifiers underscored the incompatibility of fossil fuel expansion in a Green New Deal world. Two rigorous reports released last month reveal that NESE is not only dangerous, but completely unnecessary, and that corporate utilities Con Ed and National Grid are manufacturing panic around gas demand to lock New York into decades of fracked gas use.
More climate disasters will be fossil fueled by the Williams pipeline. While Williams and National Grid would make millions of dollars off of this project, me and many other New Yorkers will pay the costs,” Rachel Rivera, NYCC board member and Sandy survivor. “My family can’t afford another Hurricane Sandy. My family can’t afford another Hurricane Maria. We couldn’t afford the first ones. While Williams, Con Ed and National Grid, are concerned about profit, we are concerned about our daughters, our homes, and our loved ones.
Photo credit: Stop the Williams Pipeline Coalition
Over 60 elected officials and counting have signed a letter calling on Governor Cuomo and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to stop the project. They join the more than 250 groups, and 16,000+ people, already demanding Cuomo reject the project.
“We applaud the Environmental Committee’s decision to hold a hearing on the Williams NESE pipeline, and we know they will do the right thing by passing a resolution against this backwards project,” said Robert Wood with 350Brooklyn. “With Intro 1253—the “dirty buildings bill”— the council is showing tremendous leadership acting to reduce the city’s building emissions. The next step is to reject the gas that causes those emissions in the first place. The Williams NESE pipeline is a great place to start.”
This Thursday, April 18, hundreds of New Yorkers will march from City Hall over the Brooklyn Bridge demanding Cuomo stop this pipeline before Earth Day and the May 16th DEC deadline. Ahead of the march, the City Council is expected to pass Intro. 1253, the #DirtyBuildings legislation, a monumental and unprecedented leap toward a #GreenNewDeal4NY.
“If Cuomo wants to be a real climate leader and stand up to Trump, he’ll reject NESE and take transformative action for a Green New Deal that benefits all New Yorkers,” said Cata Romo with 350.org and the Stop the Williams Pipeline Coalition. “We’ll march this Thursday because New York has the opportunity to be a model for climate action to the rest of the nation and the world.”
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NOTES TO THE EDITOR:
MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Members of the Stop the Williams Pipeline Coalition, and author of False Demand report, available for interview upon request. Full copies of testimonies are available upon request.
The Stop the Williams Pipeline coalition is organized by 350Brooklyn, 350.org, Food and Water Watch, New York Communities for Change, Rockaway Beach Civic Association, Sane Energy Project, and Surfrider NYC Chapter
For more, explore this media pack and visit www.StopTheWilliamsPipeline.org
Contact: Lindsay Meiman, lindsay@350.org, +1 (347) 460-9082