Hudson Valley Earth First!, Occupy Minisink and local residents protest at the construction site of the Minisink Compressor station (Millennium Pipeline Co.) which will increase capacity for storage and delivery of fracked natural gas from the Marcellus Shale. There were multiple work stoppages of truck deliveries to the site and no arrests. This action was taken in solidarity with the Tar Sands Blockade as part of the Global Day against Fossil Fuels.
Today’s blockade was a great start to the community led direct action campaign against Millennium Pipeline’s Minisink Compressor Station!
HVEF!
For more information about the project go to: www.stopmcs.org or www.hudsonvalleyearthfirst.wordpress.com
Like fires? howling at the moon? Socializing with eco-radicals in the HV?
If you answered yes to any of these, Come to Hudson Valley Earth First!’s monthly full moon bonfire September 30th! Starts @ 3pm
This month we are having it on the east side of the river at Ward Pound ridge reservation in Westchester County. Check it out here: http://parks.westchestergov.com/ward-pound-ridge-reservation
If you are planning to come please RSVP by e-mail via hudsonvalleyearthfirst@gmail.com and let us know if you plan to camp out or just come hang. we are staying in a lean to, and there is a limit on parking so we want to help facilitate carpooling.
For the Wild
HVEF!
On August 31st, Hudson Valley Earth First! held signs at the proposed site of the “CPV Valley Energy Center” or “Wawayanda Power Plant” on rte. 6W in Orange County NY.
Tell the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to deny draft permits for Air State Facility, Freshwater and Wetlands, and Water Quality Certification! Written comments on the Draft Permits will be accepted by DEC until September 9, 2012
Contact: Christopher M. Hogan – NYS Department of Environmental Conservation – 625 Broadway – 4th Floor, Albany, New York 12233-1750 – Voice: (518) 486-9955 – Email:cmhogan@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Hudson Valley Earth First! meeting, 5 – 7pm at Shannen Park, 1918 Route 284, Slate Hill, NY 10973
Tell the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to deny draft permits for Air State Facility, Freshwater and Wetlands, and Water Quality Certification! Written comments on the Draft Permits will be accepted by DEC until September 9, 2012
Contact: Christopher M. Hogan – NYS Department of Environmental Conservation – 625 Broadway – 4th Floor, Albany, New York 12233-1750 – Voice: (518) 486-9955 – Email: cmhogan@gw.dec.state.ny.us
EF! Climbers Guild will be hosting a climbing camp this fall in southern Ohio.
This is the first time a Guild camp has been organized in the Midwest and we are really excited about it! At the EF! National Rondezvous in Pennsylvania this year, we recognized a vital need to make these technical skills more available in this region. With the escalating campaigns against fracking and coal extraction, the guild would be honored to share our skills with those that are interested.
We have invited a variety of different climb/rigging trainers from different bio-regions who actively work on different campaigns to share their skills and their stories.
What to bring:
Pack like you’re going camping, sleeping bag, tent, raingear.
Good climb shoes- these are any shoe with a stiff sole.
While some people can climb in sandals, I wouldn’t recommend it. And about
climbing barefoot- like most things in life, the fantasy is better than
the reality. It hurts.
Gloves- bike gloves are great, but anything snug and flexible
will work. Blisters = slower climbing
Pants that you can climb and be comfortable in. This means loose or
stretchy and breathable material.
Your own climb gear. While this is certainly not required, if you have it,
bring it! And if you’ve been wanting to invest, carpe diem! There really
is no time like the present. We are not sure exactly what and how much
gear we will have, so the more people provide their own gear, the less the
likelihood of waiting to use communal gear.
Food. Not all EF! Guild camps have communal kitchens, however this one
will. Please consider bringing food to donate to the kitchen. Keep in mind
that there will be vegans at the camp, so donations that everyone can
share would be greatly appreciated. Also, bring what you know that you
need to sustain yourself for a week. i.e. if you know you need chocolate
everyday in the afternoon, throw it in your personal food bucket
Donation of $20-$30 for the week. However, no one will be
turned away for lack of funds.
What we will provide:
Knowledgeable trainers
Climb gear. Once again, have no fear if you do not have your own gear, we can provide gear for the week.
A full kitchen, including dishware and cutlery. So, you don’t need to bring your own set, unless you really want to. While we are asking folks to contribute to our kitchen, we will also be providing food as well and are hoping to have a volunteer cook or two for the week. If not, we can take turns making meals. Whatever makes sense.
Potable water
Coffee and tea
Transportation:
We are going to be camping and training just outside of Athens, Ohio. If
you are taking public transportation, Greyhound operates to the area.
Also, there is a service called, ‘Go Bus’ that goes between Cincinnati and
Athens for $10 and another between Columbus and Athens, also $10.
Important: When you RSVP- WE WILL GIVE YOU FULL DIRECTIONS
Agenda
The topics to be covered during the 7 days are:
Day 1: Basic climbing and Rope Anchoring
Day 2: Traverses and Tree to Tree transfers (sky walking).
D3: Basic Structure rigging and Haul systems
D4: Tri Bi and Mono Pods
D5: Advanced Structure rigging
D6: Large scale, occupied banner deployment
D7: Basic rescue and training set ups.
This is just a rough sketch of an agenda and it may change.
To climb at the camp you will have to sign a waiver of liability and recognize that what we are doing is dangerous. We are willing to share our climbing knowledge but not willing to accept responsibility if anyone hurts themselves. Along this same line, at the camp the trainers have veto power over everything climbing related and can ask anyone to leave the camp if they feel they are not acting in a
safe manner or are behaving in a disruptive manner.
Also, as much as it pains us, please no dogs.
The schedule will be fairly rigid with demonstration times but ample opportunity will be available for people to practice whatever skills they have learned.
Hope to see you in the woods and dont forget….RSVP for more information
and directions!
Activists gathered yesterday at a sanitation pier near the West Side Highway in Lower Manhattan where Spectra Energy has begun construction on a natural gaspipeline (which partially picks up gas in the Marcellus Shale area where hydrofracking currently takes place in Pennsylvania). Some of the participants had been there since four a.m. awaiting a potential shipment of materials for construction at the driveway of the pier. Dozens, possibly over a hundred more activists came by the day’s end and waited until after dark, planning to return at daybreak.
“As I understand it, the group is going to try to stop a shipment of materials used to build the pipeline,” said a man who streams events at StopMotionSolo.tv. Soon after speeches were made, police gathered at the site and a large meeting formed while others leafletted on the greenway.
It wasn’t certain that a blockade was definitely going to happen. In a speech, Monica Hunken announced that they planned on giving Spectra a letter. However, Reverend Billy (Talen) of the Church of of Life After Shopping, in a casual aside, mentioned that the action comes at a moment when environmental actions have been more intense. “All across the country there are four or five different points where, in Pennsylvania and in Texas, various places where people have stopped [fossil fuel] operations.” He adds that several escalated antifracking direct actions just in recent days have happened. For example a large rally blockaded a fracking facility in Horsehead, New York.
The resistance to the Spectra Pipeline (the NJ-NY Expansion Project) in particular has escalated to constant, apparently verging on militant, direct action after the project’s approval several months ago. Last week, for example, the same coalition of environmental organizations festively marched and heldradon-die-ins amidst the nightlife of the chic Meatpacking District.
Radon, just one talking point that was thrown in somewhere along the way and had gradually become a more significant ground, has been assigned insignificance by scientific parties. An industry-funded study reported by Dr. Lynn Anspaugh stated that gas along points of the existing pipeline was measured for radon between June 26th and July 3rd and it was concluded that the gas was not quite radioactive enough to meet the concern. The Marcellus Shale area is known to be highly more radioactive than other sources of gas but these studies argue that the radon dissipates even by the time it gets to New Jersey.
However, the coalition may continue to cite radon as a threat but it’s number nine out of ten in a pink pamphlet listing reasons to oppose the Spectra Pipeline. The top three points deal with safety.
“It’s supposed to be coming in at the rate of 800 (million) cubic feet of gas per 24 hours,” says Talen. “It’s thirty inches across, in some places forty inches in others.” The implication is that the greater the size and pressure the pipeline, the greater the explosion.
Once you find the parking lot on Rt. 207. The trail is on the left side. If you follow that trail for less than a mile, you will come to a swamp area, continue through it until you come to a fork in the trail. Take a left at the fork and follow the blue trail on what appears to be a partially re-grown road until you come to a field, our fire pit, and a few mature oak trees. Then…your destination has been reached!
I would advise wearing boots, as it can be a bit muddy. BYOB, food/water and take out whatever ya bring in. Bring a tent if ya want to camp out. If you have any questions or have a hard time finding it, its fairly close to the road, so i can come and meet you.
The plant would emit approximately 95 tons of particulate matter a year including Nitrogen Oxides, Sulfur Dioxides, Ammonia, and Volatile Organic Compounds. This would add pollutants to a county with already poor air quality, not to mention soil and water contamination, risk of explosion and utilizing fracked gas.
Hudson Valley Earth First! 
