Saying “no” to a proposed pipeline
ON APRIL 20, the one-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil pipeline blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, a dozen people broke off of an anti-fracking rally in New York City's Washington Square Park to raise awareness in the neighborhood about the threat of a planned natural gas pipeline, the NJ-NY Expansion Project, which would disproportionately affect that part of the city.
The potential blast radius of the pipeline would engulf the Meatpacking District from West 14th Street, extending into the West Village and Chelsea.
After marching through the West Village chanting, "Hey Village, stand up! This gas pipeline would blow us up!" the contingent settled on a bushy island across from the oil change center and gas station where West 14th Street, 10th Avenue and the West Side Highway meet north of the Holland Tunnel. Their banner, which read, "Not Another Gulf; 420: Anniversary of Oil Spill" was eventually hung up on the NYC High Line, a nearby abandoned railway that is now an eco-park, and represents sustainability and a change of times.
The pipeline would extend existing pipelines into Staten Island and then up through Jersey City, where it would then go under the Hudson River and end at West 14th Street.
The plan was submitted to the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) last December. FERC is a self-funded agency that also derives funds from the companies it oversees. It also can accept or reject applications of citizens to be interveners. Interveners can try the federal government in court if the plan is approved. Right now, an environmental impact study (EIS) is expected to be finished within weeks, preceding a public commentary period.
Meanwhile, a movement of resistance sprang up in Jersey City last year, with activists launching NoGasPipeline.org and signing up citizens as interveners.
Last January, the movement poured into New York City with an alliance called the Sane Energy Project, which is hosted on the website of ally United for Action. These groups have been signing up residents of the Meatpacking District, the West Village and Chelsea as interveners. A side effect of that was the youth march and roadside rally on the anniversary of the Gulf disaster.
According to the Hudson Reporter, the pipeline is endorsed by "the New York State AFL-CIO, the Building and Construction Trades Council of New York, the Chemistry Council of New Jersey, Laborers Local 731, the New Jersey State AFL-CIO, the Hudson County Board of Business Representatives, and the International Union of Operating Engineers Locals 825 and 15."
This does not necessarily mean that these entities have registered as interveners with FERC in support of the pipeline. It does imply, however, that there is still a lack of solidarity between labor unions and the environmental movement, where the case for green jobs would be a uniting factor.
Overall, many more entities have registered with FERC in opposition of the pipeline than for it. According to United for Actions's webpage for Sane Energy Project, "481 municipalities, small businesses, civic organizations and individuals" registered to intervene against the pipeline, Meanwhile, "[o]nly one individual intervened in favor of the pipeline along with some 24 energy companies and the [New York State] Public Service Commission."
The march through the Village was the beginning of a campaign called, "I Am a Blast Radius," and was just one of countless environmental actions held around the country to mark the anniversary of the Gulf disaster.
Shannon Ayala, New York City
More information about anti-pipeline actions can be found at http://downthepipeline.wordpress.com.
