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[thx to Joanne Steele-- sent this out to 1000+ Dutchess Sierra Club members!]
Subject: Forum on Cricket Valley 5:30 pm today @ Clinton Town Hall [1215 Centre Road (County Rt. 14) 12572]
Date: Aug 17, 2017 11:19 AM
Forum w/James Cromwell, Pramilla Malick, Eban Goodstein, Lisa Marshall, Kim Fraczek
Sierrans, IF we show up, people-power can stop these gas plants! -- recall-- back in 1984 though it had been 100-percent fully constructed, then-Gov. Mario Cuomo actually shut down Shoreham nuclear power plant on Long Island due to public/activist pressure-- we CAN stop Cricket Valley in Dover from starting up; we CAN stop CPV (Competetive Power Ventures) in Wawayanda from starting up!
IF WE SHOW UP, WE WIN!
NYS Public Service Commission decided a few years ago that Cricket Valley's potential energy production is NOT needed here in our state-- due to the current energy glut(!). THERE'S BEEN ONLY MORE ROOFTOP SOLAR SINCE THEN.
Dutchess County Legislators-- Francena Amparo, Hannah Black, Kari Rieser, Craig Brendli and Joel Tyner signed on to Tyner's letter calling on Gov. Cuomo and the NYSDEC to find a way to stop both the Cricket Valley and the CPV gas plants. http://conta.cc/2uWIqjK
Cricket Valley in Dover (if we don't stop it) will be an 1100-megawatt fracked-gas power plant (one of the largest stand-alone fracked-gas plants ever constructed)...the CPV plant in Orange County is "only" 650 megawatts(!):
[look at these numbers below and multiply by 1.7 for Cricket Valley; Cricket Valley would have 3 gas-fired turbines and one steam generator; CPV has 2 gas-fired turbines and one steam generator; numbers from here: http://www.blog.protectorangecounty.org/faq-2/ ]
What kind of pollution would the smokestacks from CPV emit?
The figures below are in tons per year (tpy):
carbon monoxide 344 tpy
nitrogen oxides 186.8 tpy
volatile organic compounds (VOCs) 65 tpy
formaldehyde 1 tpy
hazardous air pollutants 8 tpy
total Particulate Matter (PM/PM10/PM2.5) 95tpy
sulfur dioxide 42 tpy
sulfuric acid mist 13tpy
greenhouse gases 2,000,000 tpy
The combination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrous oxides (NOx), and particulate matter (PM) will create ground level ozone, the main constituent of smog. Ground level ozone has been linked with respiratory diseases, cancer, stroke, and premature death. VOCs on their own are carcinogens and have been linked to neurological and developmental issues, liver and kidney damage, and brain damage.
Joanne Steele
chair, Mid-Hudson Sierra Club
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Join "Babe" actor James Cromwell, Pramilla Malick of ProtectOrangeCountyNY.org, Caroline Fenner, Director of the Dutchess County Progressive Action Alliance ( http://www.DCPAA.org/ ) Kim Fraczek, Director of http://www.SaneEnergyProject.org/ , Rachel Marco-Havens, Community Activator and Woodstock 104 host, Suzy Winkler of People Not Pipelines, Lisa Marshall of http://www.MothersOutFront.org/ , Eban Goodstein, Director of the Bard Center for Environmental Policy, Lee Ziesche of http://SeedingSovereignty.org/ and yours truly (Clinton/Rhinebeck) for their public forum on the soon-to-be-constructed (unfortunately if we can't shut it down) 1100-megawatt Cricket Valley fracked-gas power plant a half hour away in Dover, Dutchess County-- TODAY--Thursday, Aug. 17th 5:30 pm at Clinton Town Hall at 1215 Centre Road (12572)!
[James Cromwell has been very active here in Hudson Valley fighting 650-megawatt frack-gas CPV power plant from firing up in Orange County-- even arrested, spent three days in jail with Pramilla Malick and Madeline Shaw for nonviolent disobedience:
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/james-cromwell-sentenced-jail-power-plant-protest-article-1.3291726
https://www.democracynow.org/2017/7/14/oscar_nominated_actor_james_cromwell_speaks .]
Note: Thanks much to the Dutchess County Progressive Action Alliance, Protect Orange County, Sane Energy Project, Earth Guardians NY, Mothers Out Front - Southern Tier, and Mothers Out Front - Finger Lakes for agreeing to co-sponsor this event with Fossil-Fuel-Free Dutchess, Working Class Dutchess, and the Real Majority Project; see https://www.facebook.com/PeopleNotPipelines/ for more re: People Not Pipelines(!).
In early July Caroline Fenner of the Dutchess County Progressive Action Alliance (the former Dutchess for Bernie organization) sent an email out in solidarity from NYPAN (the NYS Progressive Action Alliance) in support of Pramilla Malick, James Cromwell, and Maddy Shaw-- who Joel witnessed July 14th going to Orange County Jail last Friday to bravely protest the polluting/corrupt CPV plant: http://www.ProtectOrangeCounty.org/
Fact: TEPCO comprises half of JERA-- "the largest equity investor" in Cricket Valley(!):
"JERA was established on April 30, 2015 based on the comprehensive alliance entered into between Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) & Chubu Electric Power Company (CEPCO)"
http://www.themillbrookindependent.com/content/cricket-valley-energy-power-plant-breaks-ground-0
Fact: TEPCO found negligent in court this March re: 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster(!):
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/world/asia/japan-fukushima-nuclear-disaster-tepco-ruling.html
Fact: TEPCO dumping 777,000 tons of tritium-tainted (Fukushima) water into Pacific(!):
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/07/14/national/science-health/tepco-says-decision-already-made-release-radioactive-low-toxic-tritium-sea-fishermen-irate/
Fact: Jurgen Wekerle (of the Executive Committee of the Atlantic Chapter of the Sierra Club) has pointed out that even the NYS Public Service Commission decided a few years ago that Cricket Valley's potential energy production is NOT needed here in our state-- due to the current energy glut(!).
Note-- Kim Fraczek of http://www.SaneEnergyProject.org/ confirmed with us recently-- in order for Cricket Valley to really and truly start up, it still needs at least one last state permit from NYSDEC for a lateral pipeline to connect to the Iroquois pipeline (yes that's right fellow Town of Clinton residents-- the one here in our town!).
[yes, several times over last decade Joel has testified vs. Cricket Valley; ramping up again(!):
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/money/2014/08/04/cricket-power-line-plan/13604297/
http://townofdoverny.us/uploads/Appendix%201-A%20-%20Comments%20Received%20on%20the%20DEIS%20Part%201.pdf ]
We need GREEN jobs-- http://www.GELFNY.org/ ; http://www.TheSolutionsProject.org/ ;
http://www.newsday.com/news/region-state/to-long-islanders-mario-cuomo-defined-opposition-to-shoreham-nuclear-plant-1.9766661 -- recall-- back in 1984 tho it had been 100-percent fully constructed, then-Gov. Mario Cuomo actually shut down Shoreham nuclear power plant on Long Island due to public/activist pressure-- we CAN stop Cricket Valley from starting up; we CAN stop CPV from starting up!
Can't be emphasized enough-- we need to push more loudly than ever for GOOD-PAYING, CLEAN, GREEN JOBS for our union brothers and sisters in the building trades and all of us through a fossil-free future here in NYS-- recall: fact of matter is that back in 2013 Cornell/Stanford study proved that 100-percent fossil-fuel-free future possible for NYS by 2030-- creating 4.5 million new green construction jobs in the process, 58,000 new permanent green jobs, saving literally $36 billion annually in energy/electricity costs, and 4000 lives/yr. in NYS!
http://web.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/Articles/I/NewYorkWWSEnPolicy.pdf
Recall what Riverkeeper was saying about Indian Point six years ago?...see just below-- that only conservation necessary!
....that "conservation alone can replace Indian Point."
https://www.riverkeeper.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Energy-Fact-Sheet-FINAL.pdf
https://www.riverkeeper.org/news-events/news/stop-polluters/power-plant-cases/indian-point/debunking-the-indian-point-energy-myth/
For many years as well Manna Jo Greene (now Environmental Director for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater) repeatedly pointed out in her public presentations that SUNY-Albany Atmospheric Sciences' Dr. Richard Perez had proven that all of NYS electricity needs could be met thru solar power (on less than one percent of NYS land, no less).
http://www.asrc.cestm.albany.edu/perez/publications/Other%20Papers%20and%20Applications/richard-perez-solar-new-york-2007.pdf
Where can NYS get $$$ from to build out green jobs with solar, geothermal, wind, tidal, small hydro?......
Fact: Dr. Gerald Friedman, Chair of Amherst's Economics Dept., just recently proved that NYS could actually save $45 billion annually moving to single-payer here (let alone $36 billion in savings from fossil-fuel-free).
https://www.villagevoice.com/2017/01/31/to-save-lives-and-billions-of-dollars-new-york-state-must-pass-universal-health-care/
http://www.infoshare.org/main/Economic_Analysis_New_York_Health_Act_-_GFriedman_-_April_2015.pdf
Yes, for years-- decades, single-payer advocates like myself were dismissed as crazy, unrealistic-- not any more tho.
And it's not insane for any elected official (or any of us) to push for 100-percent fossil-fuel-free future; 1400 mayor just did this (by 2035).
https://www.buzzfeed.com/zahrahirji/cities-embrace-100-percent-clean-energy-goal
Even GOP San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer has gotten the San Diego Chamber of Commerce on board to agree-- the whole city there could and should be fossil-fuel-free by 2035.
https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060035207
Call Cuomo and state legislators on this-- at 877-255-9417-- it ain't over til it's over folks!
[pass it on!]
Joel
845-464-2245/876-2488
http://www.DutchessDemocracy.blogspot.com/
p.s. would love you to lobby all 25 of us on this too-- at countylegislators@dutchessny.gov!
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From: Kim Fraczek <k...@saneenergyproject.org>
Subject: Cricket Valley
Date: Jul 18, 2017 5:13 PM
* What is Cricket Valley?
An 1100 MW fracked gas fired power plant in Dover, NY. This is slated to be the largest gas fired power plant in the Northeast US.
* Why is this project dangerous?
Emission from gas fired power plants have been known to cause disease in reproductive, endocrine, and respiratory systems.
* Why haven't I heard about this project?
The company did a poor job of outreach to engage local residents in fear of opposition. They claim the process has been on-going for nine years, yet, why is there such little information available?
* Will this project lower my bill?
Doubtful. The larger plan of the natural/fracked gas industry is to export and escalate the global price of gas. Cricket Valley locks us into a future gas dependence.
* Didn't Governor Cuomo issue a mandate to lower methane emissions?
He did, yet he continues to approve methane/natural/fracked gas infrastructure at record rates. He needs to hear from NY voters that we want a future build on community-owned renewable energy.
Learn more about the expansion of fracking infrastructure at http://www.YouAreHereMap.org/
It is 1100MW, one of the biggest in the east. This pdf identifies Iroquois as Cricket Valley supply (pg 9) http://www.northeastgas.org/pdf/r_perless_2017.pdf It is all tied in to Dominion's New Market.
This-- like CPV-- falls under state jurisdiction and can theoretically be stopped if Cuomo wanted to stop it. There is a wetland near there...
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Fact: Regarding the project, it would be a 1100MW fracked-gas power plant, which would make it one of the largest in the state. By comparison, the CPV power plant that you have heard about already is 650MW. The Cricket Valley power plant would generate electricity using three large GE turbines. The facility is in a non-attainment area which requires it to purchase pollution credits from elsewhere in exchange for increasing the levels of hazardous pollutants to which people in Dover and surrounding communities would be exposed, including Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's), which are carcinogenic.
The climate impact of the project would be huge, about 3.4 MILLION metric tons of CO2 emissions each year. However the life-cycle impacts of methane leakage associated with the production, processing, and transmission of natural gas must also be considered. When that is factored in, the total impact is between 6 MILLION and 16 MILLION tons of CO2 equivalent (known as CO2e) emissions annually. Construction of this pipeline would prevent New York from meeting its greenhouse gas reduction goals. Obviously emissions don't go down if we burn more fossil fuels. They go up.
Attached are calculations prepared regarding the greenhouse gas impacts of Cricket Valley. Based on data we were able to obtain from the Iroquois Pipeline, we were also able to determine that this facility would be operating at a capacity factor of about 0.87. That is a lot for a gas-fired power plant, indicating that it would also be running nearly all of the time, serving as a base-load generator (instead of as a "peaker" plant that operates only occasionally during peak load).
We also know that the power plant would be supplied by the Iroquois Pipeline, which brings fracked gas into New York from fracking fields in Pennsylvania and Canada. (Regardless of its origin, almost all natural gas used today in New York is "fracked"--meaning obtained through the extraction process of High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing--which New York State ironically banned within its own borders a couple of years ago.) Gas from the Marcellus Shale formation of Pennsylvania would reach the power plant by way of the Dominion Pipeline which is currently building an interconnect to the Iroquois as part of Dominion's "New Market Project". We have also recently learned of a future expansion of the Dominion Pipeline called "New Market II" which would increase flow to the Iroquois even more. If the Iroquois Pipeline is reversed, as has been proposed previously, the power plant could also receive Marcellus gas from the Spectra Pipeline network.
Fact: The gas for Cricket Valley will come from Dominion's Iroquois via Dominion's New Market pipeline. We have so far failed to stop the New Market pipleine, and now New Market II is lined up with an additional 200,000 dk/day for a total of 312K dk/day.
Fact: Because Dominion did not present an accurate application the DEC never reviewed all the wetland encroachments. These went to FERC instead as variance requests which FERC then approved. Besides side-stepping state authority under CWA, this effectively voids SPPP based on the original application.
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https://popularresistance.org/new-york-voters-and-local-farmers-disrupt-cricket-valley-power-plants-breaking-ground-ceremony/
New York Voters And Local Farmers Disrupt Cricket Valley Power Plant's Breaking-Ground Ceremony
Resist! New York, Power Plants, Protests
By Kim Fraczek and Lee Stewart, www.popularresistance.org
June 29th, 2017
A massive methane emitting fracked gas power plant breaks ground despite Governor Cuomo's recent announcement of New York State's Methane Reduction Plan
Dover, NY - The controversial Cricket Valley Gas-Fired Power Plant's golden-shovel ceremony was disrupted today by a large, golden bell rung by NY voters and local farmers expressing an alarm-bell for regional waters and soil, nearby school children that will breath toxic emissions, decline in quality, local jobs and economy, and a gigantic methane producer at the height of a global climate crisis.
Cricket Valley, an 1,100MW power plant not only locks New York into a future of dirty fuels via the plant's connection to the Dominion Pipeline expansion, but also slates the connected Iroquois Pipeline for flow reversal expansion to export the gas to foreign markets via Canada putting the health and safety risk on the local community for private profit.
Although Go
vernor Cuomo has made bold statements about being a climate leader, he sets policy to a different tune. He recently issued a Methane Reduction Plan shortly following his 2017 State of the State address where he said "New York must double down by investing in the fight against dirty fossil fuels and fracked gas from neighboring states." He further took a stand against President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord and pledged climate action with governors across the U.S. "If Washington won't act, New Yorkers will," he wrote on Twitter. "We've set bold renewable energy goals and will invest in a sustainable future."
Cuomo's programs like Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) aimed to r evamp New York's electric grid with clean and affordable energy to all New Yorkers, is counter to the reality of the massive buildout of fracked gas infrastructure we see in New York State. He is even going as far as issue Request for Proposals (RFP's) this July to power Empire State Plaza in Albany with fracked gas disguised as a clean energy microgrid.
Local resident Cindy Beach states, " My entire childhood was spent here. It was very rural and many farms then. The building of this infrastructure is very disturbing to me especially for the several children's schools near this plant. Wingdale Elementary School, 2.5 miles from Cricket Valley, Dover Elementary School 4.5 miles, Dover Middle School 0.9 miles, and Dover High School 0.9 miles from the plant. Where does the school administration stand on the safety of our children? Are they aware of the health consequences of gas infrastructure?"
Local farmer and land-owner in Amenia, NY, Devin Kyle Irby states, "Like many who have bought farms in this beautiful region, we here to be part of a cleaner future. I was saddened and appalled to hear that this power plant would be part of the fracked gas nightmare. This "transition fuel" is literally destroying the water table throughout North America. Sold as clean, most of us who honor water and work for future generations know this is a 'Transition' to a dead planet with polluted water and air. We need to draw a line in the sand and support only solutions which are truly renewable part of a living future."
Southern Tier resident and local organizer with Mothers Out Front, Lisa Marshall states, "On the other end of this pipeline and power plant is my home. Dominion has shown craven disregard for the health, safety, and private property of the communities where it has sited its compressors. Their permit applications were deeply flawed and inaccurate. The technology employed does not meet the highest available standard for environmental protection. They've been consistently dishonest about the full impacts of this project from the start."
A growing and powerful movement across New York State, responsible for the ban on high-volume hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, backed by science and health professionals asserts the ancillary infrastructure is preventing a full transition to an equitable, renewable economy
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[wake up folks-- Cricket Valley close to us in Dover 1100 megawatts; CPV "only" 650!]
https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/governor-cuomo-pull-the-plug-on-cpv-reject-the-401-water-permit?source=direct_link&
2,830 Signatures Collected
Only 370 more until our goal of 3,200
Governor Cuomo Pull The Plug on CPV: Reject the 401 Water Permit
The CPV Valley Power plant is a massive 650 Megawatt fracked-gas power plant that is under construction right now in Orange County, New York by Competitive Power Ventures and Global Infrastructure Partners, a joint venture of Credit Suisse and General Electric.
The plant would be one of the largest is the State of New York and climate scientists say it would create a climate emergency. It would lock us into fracked-gas dependency for the next 40 years and put lower Manhattan under water.
CPV would require thousands of new fracking wells in neighboring Pennsylvania over its lifetime; and according to Cornell University scientist, Dr. Anthony Ingraffea, it will increase the entire state's green house gas emissions from the power sector by "in excess of ten percent". He says it will be impossible for New York to meet its climate goals if this plant becomes operational. Another Cornell scientist, Dr. Robert Howarth, says that methane in the atmosphere is skyrocketing and this is likely due to fracking. Methane is 86 times worse for the climate change than carbon dioxide.
In 2014 Governor Cuomo banned fracking citing risks to public health, yet that same year the state issued several approvals for the CPV Valley Energy Center. He said no to fracking but a big YES to fracked gas.
The project also necessitates a vast network of infrastructure such as pipelines and compressor stations that are devastating communities all along its path. Health impacts have already been documented, people are being forced from their homes, some are even threatened with eminent domain.
Critical state natural resources are also at risk including the Delaware Watershed, The Walkill River Watershed, federal and state wetlands, endangered species habitat, protected farmland, (the famed Black Dirt farms), as well as a indigenous burial ground.
But it is not too late to stop this project. There is one critical permit left and without it they can't operate. Moreover the project is at the center of a major pay to play corruption scandal involving a former company executive and former aides to Governor Cuomo.
Cuomo must make a final decision on this last permit before the end of August. So help us tell Cuomo to pull the plug on this corrupt climate and community killing project.
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