Insane Energy Tour

The INsane Energy Tour is an ongoing project we’ll be adding to periodically. Nothing compares to seeing things in person and meeting the activists involved, so whenever possible, we’ll be reporting back from places where fossil fuel extraction is a threat. The purpose of these tours is to highlight sacrifice zones: These are places where politicians and industry have decided “it’s ok” to poison local air and water, under the guise of bringing jobs (which are usually low-paying, short-lived, and union-busting gigs), and with the haze of being something local folks must suffer for “the greater good.” Our rallying cry: “NO MORE SACRIFICE ZONES!”

Watch our facebook page for live feeds when we’re on tour. Our deepest thanks to all those who hosted and guided us while traveling.

February 14, 2014, West Virginia.
We toured mountaintop removal sites with activists from OVEC in the capitol city of Charleston. Our Valentine’s visit followed a toxic spill by Freedom Industries (you can’t make this stuff up) into the Elk River, the city’s drinking water supply, and a second spill from a coal slurry pond.

Read the captions and click the links in the facebook photo album to follow our trip. Sane Energy coordinator, Kim Fraczek joined local activist, Vivian Stockman for a radio interview while in Charleston. A personal journal entry records our impressions right after we returned. Inconvenient though it was to go 2 days without showering, it was a small sliver of what this city (the size of Binghamton) is dealing with. Our new friends in West Virginia are still without safe water, an ongoing story not being  covered in the national media. [UPDATE: The New Yorker magazine has published one of its typically thorough stories about the chemical spill and the history leading up to it.] These folks are like activists everywhere: They’re tough, they’re smart, they’re hardworking, and they’re family.

Vivian narrates several stops on our tour, but the moment that really got to us is captured in the last video of this series (wait for it). We asked her, “Why do you want to stay here despite all this?” Her answer is what hits you. People love where they live, and want to protect the places they love.

 

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March, 2014, Seneca Salt Caverns. When the NOFA conference brought us to the Finger Lakes, we spent an afternoon with activists Yvonne Taylor and Joseph Campbell, from Gas Free Seneca (GFS), who are fighting a proposal to fill an unstable salt mine with explosive gas liquids (we know, it sounds like a Marvel Comics evil genius story line, but it’s true).

This beautiful, scenic area is well known for its waterfalls, fertile soil and conducive climate, which has recently attracted an infusion of talent and investment with the arrival of legendary French winemaker, Louis Barruol, and consultant, Paul Hobbs. The area is one of New York’s economic success stories, with a thriving hospitality industry and agricultural production.

Seneca Lake is also known for salt production, which has been going on at the lake since the 1800s, and has been a big local employer. But recently, depleted salt caverns have been converted to storage of compressed liquid gases. Inergy (now Crestwood) has applied to FERC convert the area into a major gas storage hub that will include a rail depot, several brine ponds, and underground storage adjacent to Seneca Lake, which serves as the aquifer for 100,000 residents.

A few days after we visited, GFS hosted an impressive forum featuring multiple scientists and business leaders who testified to risks from seismic activity, loss of jobs, and destruction of the peaceful environment. 500 letters from residents and 88 letters from business owners were sent to Cuomo, who’s been invited to visit. While activists wait to hear decisions from FERC and DEC, Gas Free Seneca asks New Yorkers to support local innkeepers, wineries and growers who are members of their business coalition, and use their power as tourists to petition Cuomo to deny permits. Update: FERC approved the project, and calls and letters to Cuomo are still needed.