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Keep Calling Governor Cuomo to Request That He Deny the Section 401 WQC for the Proposed Constitution Pipeline/More Press Coverage/Ugly FB Debate/Where We Stand

Use this Quick Action Guide. Please keep calling Governor Cuomo at 518 474 8390 to request that DEC DENY the Water Quality Certification required for construction of the proposed Constitution Pipeline. Underscore DEC's documented inability to fulfill the requirements of Section 401 of the U. S. Clean Water Act.

Greetings,

After only one month, our campaign is already playing a critically important role in deciding the fate of the Constitution, New Market and Northeast Energy Direct pipelines as well as all other infrastructure projects in New York that cannot be constructed without Section 401 Walter Quality Certifications.

Our latest coalition letter now has an entirely respectable 1,107 signatories. Check out more TV coverage for opposing the Constitution Pipeline and documenting 114 pipeline explosions, fires, ruptures and toxic discharges using DEC's own data, including massive pollution hazards that were never cleaned up to state standards.

See: Will The Constitution Pipeline Help or Harm The Community? and Activists Want Pending N.Y. Natural Gas & Oil Infrastructure Projects Stopped

The WETM piece sparked an amazingly fierce Facebook debate that is really hard to believe. The pure hatred and vitriol is scary and sobering. Anyone who thinks New York's shale fracking fight is over has no idea what is going on.

See: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=258110570617&story_fbid=10156232632260618

Elmira sits practically astride the NY/PA border. Nevertheless, comments ranged from as far away as Indonesia. Thanks to everyone who backed me up. I am very grateful for your help.

All I can say is that this work is not for the faint of heart. We are forging ahead and proving once again that laser-focused public policy requests relentlessly echoed by knowledgeable citizen activists and supported by sustained media coverage can exert a powerful influence on critical natural gas decisions in New York.

You can see what we are up against. Please donate to keep our important campaign going.

Thanks so much for all your help. Please keep up your excellent work.

Where We Stand

Governor Cuomo has not responded to our respectful Section 401 coalition letter, a letter opposing FERC "tree-felling" authorization for the proposed Constitution Pipeline or thousands of phone requests.

This is typical. He did not respond to our earlier entreaties for four years until he announced New York's shale fracking prohibition. Keep deluging the Governor with calls. Pour it on. Smile and dial.

Some activists love soaring rhetoric, but your strongest leverage is to promise to hold the Governor accountable. Tell him that if your request does not receive a favorable reply, you will never vote for him or contribute financially and will battle him at every turn. That is the ticket to effective advocacy.

FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) has neither granted nor denied requested authorization for tree-felling activities involving the Constitution Pipeline. If that authorization can be delayed through March 31st, land-clearing could not be conducted until at least November 1st.

Please note that the only way to kill the proposed Constitution Pipeline through regulatory means is to require Governor Cuomo to DENY its Section 401 Water Quality Certification application. That would supersede FERC's conditional project approval. The Governor must make a decision by 4/29/16 or lose the privilege.

More shortly. Keep slugging.

Cheers,

Walter