We met on South Street Seaport's Boardwalk by the Peking (large boat near Pier 17 shops) and started our walk around the Battery. Great fun was had by all. Hope to see more of you next year. We even raised a few dollars.
We walked, we sang, we discussed the issues facing the river and our water supply today..... it's was good time!
Those who have collected pledges for the walk but did not attend can send to our post office box.
(you don't need to actually walk to collect pledges!)
This is the start of our outdoor events season. We always have a great time!
New York State is becoming a major battleground in the struggle against fracking, and as activists, we must make our voices heard. A significant point has now been reached with the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC). New York State seemingly is in a showdown with the federal government's pro-fracking position.
Hydraulic fracturing involves injecting water, sand, and a multi-chemical cocktail (including carcinogens) at high pressure into rock formations thousands of feet below the earth’s surface. The chemicals that make up the fracking fluid are cause for concern. They may include, among other things, barium, strontium, benzene, glycol-ethers, toluene, 2-methoxyethoxy ethanol, arsenic, radon and nonylphenols. All have been linked to health disorders when human exposure is too high. Fracking has been linked to water contamination in a number of states, including Pennsylvania, where within the past two months there was an explosion pouring thousands of gallons of gas into the water supply.
These measures should be put into place prior to the closing of the plant. Each measure is expensive but necessary. The idea is that the ground swell of public opinion, waking up the real dangers and risks, coupled with lawmakers requiring additional safe gaurds will show that this nuclear danger in our backyard is not financially viable. They listen to their wallets.
(Paraphrased from) IPSEC's Resolution by Marilyn Elie
Hydraulic Fracturing, or “fracking,” continues to be one of the most serious challenges facing our environment today. In order to extract natural methane gas for an “alternative” source of energy, hundreds of chemicals, many of which are toxic, neurotoxic, or even carcinogenic, are injected into the ground to fracture rock and release methane. Not only do many of these chemicals then leak into surrounding lands, streams, aquifers and wells, but the vast amounts of wastewater created by the process are also highly toxic, and contaminate whatever they come in contact with, especially as adequate wastewater disposal is not always available.
GE informed the EPA that it would “opt-in” to complete Phase 2 of the Hudson River PCBs cleanup to remove more PCB-tainted sediment from the Hudson River in response to requirements recently set forward by the EPA.
