Marcellus Shale Press Coverage

Photo by Michael Smith/The Ithaca Voice


ITHACA, NY - A plan to expand the 200-mile Dominion natural gas pipeline that runs through Ithaca is in the works, but local activists are gearing up to fight it.

On Friday, Toxics Targeting, Inc., an environmental database firm in Ithaca, released a report detailing hazardous substance spill profiles obtained from the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) under the Freedom of Information Law. These profiles detail 13 incidents of toxic contamination involving the existing Dominion New Market pipeline -- two of them in Ithaca.

Walter Hang, CEO of Toxics Targeting is rallying environmental activists to try and shut down the expansion on the grounds that these pipelines are unsafe. Earlier this year, Toxics Targeting released a similar report, detailing 114 pipeline incidents -- leaks, spills, ruptures, explosions and other accidents that he says resulted in contamination of nearby waters, damage to the environment and even fatalities.

The two spills at the Ithaca location were relatively minor compared to some of the other incidents from the previous report. That is to say, nothing caught fire or exploded.

However, there is still a major concern about these spills -- they weren't cleaned up.

In one incident in 1998, "unknown heavy petroleum" had been dumped and affected nearby groundwater. The DEC report clearly notes that the cleanup standards were not met.

The other incident occurred in 1991, with waste oil found contaminating the soil after a tank was removed. The report says it is "unknown" if that was cleaned up properly.

"The danger is, if you have a historic dumping site, then the contamination can migrate under the ground. So it could very likely migrate into the adjoining wetlands areas."

"These contamination problems don't go away. The contamination is very persistent," Hang said, referencing other contamination issues in Ithaca such as Ithaca Gun, Nate's Floral Estates and Stone Quarry Apartments. "That's why these sites really should've been re-mediated in strict compliance right off the bat."

The expansion planned for pipeline would include adding new compressor and cooler units to existing facilities like the one in Ithaca, as well as adding two new stations across the state.

Hang is aiming to block the New Market pipeline expansion by calling on Governor Andrew Cuomo to deny a Section 401 Water Quality Certification for the project. Basically, this certification shows that a project does not carry the risk of contaminating local water quality.

Hang says his data shows that they already have done just that, and so it is the governor's duty to deny the certification. His website includes a form letter that can be sent to Cuomo if you want to support the cause.

Hang says he has already collected over 100 letters to the governor. Toxics Targeting used the same approach and same legal precedent to successfully block the Constitution Pipeline, another major pipeline project planned for Pennsylvania and New York.

The public comment period ends on August 5.

Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton spoke about a moratorium on fossil fuel infrastructure in Binghamton earlier this month.

Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D/WFP-125th District) and 21 other state lawmakers are asking Governor Andrew Cuomo to impose a statewide moratorium on permits for new pipelines, compressor stations, power plants and gas storage facilities. Earlier this month, Lifton penned the sign-on letter to the governor outlining environmental and health concerns.

“We need to stop rolling out new major fossil fuel infrastructure,” Lifton told Tompkins Weekly last week. In her letter, Lifton notes that these facilities have caused explosions and fires, and discharge toxic pollutants into the air. In addition to environmental hazards, they perpetuate New York’s dependence on highly polluting gas, oil, coal and other fossil fuels that contribute to global climate change, the letter states.

“We have learned over the past 10 years that methane is a huge contributor to climate change,” Lifton says. “According to Dr. Robert Howarth at Cornell University, methane is 104 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.” One-third of all methane emissions in the U.S. derive from natural gas and petroleum systems. Methane is emitted at all stages of natural gas production, from drilling to processing, storage, transmission and distribution.

“If we want to bring down the amount of carbon quickly, and stop contributing to global warming, the best thing we can do is to stop throwing methane into the atmosphere,” Lifton says. Rather than waiting for the federal government to make policy, Lifton feels that New York can take the lead in what she calls the “new green revolution”.

The first step is to stop creating ways to burn more fossil fuels and focus on decreasing the demand. Cuomo understands this, Lifton says, citing his State of the State “Built to Lead” address. In that speech, Cuomo explains that the least expensive and most effective way to meet New York State’s energy goals is to reduce the energy consumption in New York’s homes, businesses and institutions. That can be achieved by making these buildings more energy efficient.

That increased energy efficiency means lower utility bills for customers and lower operating costs for businesses. It means putting less carbon into the atmosphere. Lifton’s only criticism: why set the bar so low? “Cuomo’s plan is aimed at one-sixth of the homes in New York”, she says. “Why not 50 percent?”

While Lifton is collecting signatures from lawmakers, Walter Hang, president of Toxics Targeting in Ithaca, encourages citizens and environmental groups to sign on to the same letter hosted at his website (toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale). As of July 18, there were nearly 900 signatures. Many of these, Hang explained, are from people who don’t want fracked gas in New York.

“There are about a dozen major pipeline proposals, power plant proposals, and compressor station proposals all over the state,” Hang says. “They are moving toward approval.” One of these is Dominion’s $158 million New Market pipeline expansion project that includes a huge new compressor station. The transmission pipeline cuts through Ithaca, Ellis Hollow and Dryden, and would convey gas from Pennsylvania to New England and beyond. He questions the need for infrastructure that will ensure continued fossil-fuel use for the next 50 years.

According to a New York Independent System Operator (NYISO)’s report, “Power Trends 2016,” the state has plenty of energy for the next decade. The report predicts that future use will be flat or go down. We don’t need additional fossil fuels that contribute to pollution and climate change, Hang says.

One person who doesn’t support a moratorium on fossil fuel infrastructure is State Senator Thomas O’Mara (R/C/I-58th District). He is the chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee and, while he believes New York should continue focusing on short- and long-term strategies to develop more clean energy sources, he contends the moratorium isn’t the way to do it.

In an email comment, O’Mara said the moratorium is “an unworkable proposal that would be a job-killer.” He feels it would further drive manufacturing and other private-sector economic growth out of the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions, and produce skyrocketing energy costs for consumers.

O’Mara characterized the call for a moratorium on fossil fuel infrastructure as unbalanced and unreasonable action that, he said, “would jeopardize local and statewide jobs, workers, employers, consumers and communities from ever being able to survive the economic decline and struggle that’s still confronting upstate New York.”

Lifton disagrees. Focusing on renewable energy, constructing energy efficient buildings and insulating homes and government buildings means work for New Yorkers. “Tens of thousands of jobs,” she estimated. “Good local jobs.”

As for costs, Lifton concedes that renewable energy comes with a higher price. But so does continuing reliance on fossil fuels. Noting the enormous costs of climate disasters, she believes we can’t afford to keep burning gas and oil. “We’re still cleaning up after Sandy,” she notes.