beyond dominion sentinel (may 2015)
DESCRIPTION
May 2015 edition of the Beyond Dominion Sentinel, a newsletter for communities reclaiming their homes from Virginia-based power company, Dominion Resources.TRANSCRIPT
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THE SENTINEL is a project of BeyondExtreme Energy (BXE), a groupthat came together in 2014 andcarried out a week of direct actionat FERC, the Federal Energy Reg-ulatory Commission, in Washing-ton, D.C., to highlight that agen-cys rubber-stamping of just aboutevery fracked gas proposal thatcomes before it. Were currentlyorganizing a much bigger actionfor May 21-29 in order to forceFERC to take community con-cerns as seriously as it takes cor-porate conniving. We hope manyof you will join us at the FERCus.For more information, includingour proposals for reformingFERC, visit www.beyondextremeenergy.org.This second issue will highlight
three new groups working to pro-tect their communities from Do-minion and provide updates on thegroups included in our first issue.Get in touch with us at [email protected].
350 LoudounDOMINIONS LEIDY SOUTH PROJECT pro-poses a compressor station expan-sion and the addition of a meteringstation in Loudoun, Virginia. Itwould send gas through the townsof Leesburg and Loudoun in Vir-ginia, and Myersville in Maryland,on its way to Dominions CovePoint project. Natalie Pien with
350 Loudoun said her town al-ready has two compressor stationsand one is scheduled for expan-sion. But she said its not justabout the local impacts.We take a bigger view, that it
will facilitate more fracking inPennsylvania and will devastate theCove Point community and isn'tleading us in the right direction.It's going to exacerbate climatechange and raise the price of gasdomestically. We feel the only onesto benefit are Dominion share-holders. Instead of spendingmoney to build new fossil fuel in-frastructure, that money would bebetter spent on developing and in-
stalling clean, renewable-energypower plants. Dominion has thelease for off-shore wind thatshould be more aggressively devel-oped. They have only committedto constructing a test turbine.Dominion held an open house
March 30 in Leesburg.The most egregious thing,
Pien said, is that a county supervi-sor attended the open house andpraised the use of natural gas in theenergy industry. He said, It doesntget any cleaner than that. Werewriting letters to the editor andtabling at a big Earth Day eventand creating our own event aboutfracked gas and climate change.
DBEYONDSENTINEL MAY 2015COMMUNITIES FIGHTING DOMINION ON ALL FRONTS
ALTERNATIVES ON THE HORIZON
Welcome to the second issue of the Beyond Dominion Sentinel! This newsletter summarizesthe struggles of communities fighting Dominion Resources fracked gas projectswhetherpipelines, compressor stations, liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals or any other
dirty energy projects of this $50 billion behemoth that is running roughshod over all of us inone way or another. The Sentinels goal is to share the reality of what were up against, shareinformation that other groups may find useful and build a stronger grassroots opposition.
courtesy
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Some of us are going to participatein the BXE events in late May.Dominion plans to file with
FERC in May for approval of theLeidy South project.For local press coverage, go tohttp://bit.ly/1H0h8M9
Contact info:350Loudoun.orgOn Facebook at 350 [email protected]
Not on Our Fault LineDOMINION INVESTS HEAVILY in allkinds of fracked gas infrastructure,but it also owns four nuclearpower plants around the country,including a shut-down one in Wis-consin where the company re-cently had to pay a fine for a secu-rity violation. A new alliance, Noton Our Fault Line, has formed tooppose Dominion Virginia Powersplans for a new nuclear reactor inLouisa County, Virginia, adjacentto the site of the North Anna Reac-tors 1 & 2.We are calling on Dominion
Virginia Power to abandon itsplans for the North Anna 3 reactorbecause this project is too costlyand too risky, said Jerry Rosen-thal, a Louisa County resident andmember of the Peoples Alliancefor Clean Energy.The price tag for the proposed
North Anna 3 nuclear reactorwould be far north of $10 bil-lion, according to Daniel Weekley,Vice President of Corporate Affairsfor Dominion.The North Anna 3 nuclear re-
actor is too costly because that$10+ billion price tag for a newnuclear reactor could raise ourutility bills far north of a 40 per-cent increase, said Glen Besa, Vir-ginia Director of the Sierra Club.Dominion needs to be investingin efficiency, solar and wind en-ergy, all of which are far cheaperthan nuclear power.A new nuclear reactor at North
Anna is also too risky, said EricaGray, Nuclear Issues Chair for theVirginia Sierra Club. This reactorwould be built on an existing faultline and just 11 miles from the epi-center of a 2011 earthquake thatexceeded the design standards of
the two existing reactors andcracked the Washington Monu-ment some 80 miles away. Addi-tionally, it is a new reactor designthat has never been built and oper-ated commercially.Please sign this citizens petition
to Dominion opposing a new reac-tor at North Anna:https://secure.sierraclub.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=15394
Contact info:On Facebook atNot on Our Fault Line ~Stop North Anna 3 Reactorwww.vasierraclub.orgMain contact person:Glen Besa,Director Virginia [email protected] East Franklin Street,Suite 302Richmond, VA 23219(804) 225-9113
Down to the WireA COALITION of nonprofits haslaunched a campaign to safeguardthe James River from what it be-lieves is an unwarranted intrusionby Dominion Virginia Power in theform of a power line proposed tocross the river near Carters Grove.Dominion says it needs to build
the line to ensure the Peninsula hasenough electricity flowing to it, be-cause of the looming retirement ofthe Yorktown Power Station due tofederal environmental regulations.Without the line, the utility says thePeninsula could experience black-
DOMINION
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QUESTIONS POSED BY 350 LOUDOUNTO DOMINION AT THEIR OPEN HOUSEMEETING:
WHY SHOULD the U.S. export natural gaswhen we are seeking to be energy independent?
WHAT IMPACT will exporting natural gas haveon domestic natural gas prices and supplies?
WHAT PERCENTAGE of natural gas passingthrough the Leesburg compressor station will bedestined for export at the Cove Point LNG ex-port terminal when the terminal is constructedand operating at 100 percent capacity?
WILL THIS compressor facility enable in-creased fracking in Pennsylvania and theGeorge Washington National Forest?
EXACTLY HOW MUCH methane will be re-leased into the air annually by this facility dur-ing the routine blow-down procedures andleaks?
HOW MANY routine blow-downs are permittedannually by the Virginia Department of Environ-mental Quality?
WHY IS methane dangerous to people, the en-vironment and climate change?
AT WHAT concentration does methane in down-wind air become explosive?
IS THERE downwind monitoring of methaneconcentration? If so, who monitors and towhom is the data reported?
WHO MONITORS emissions and spills from thecompressor facilitya state or federal agency,or does Dominion self-report?
HOW LOUD are the compressors? Do they runat night?
THERE WAS a fire at the existing compressorstation in the recent past that was unreported.How will this be prevented in the future?
THERE WAS a chemical spill at the existingcompressor station. Do chemical spills threatenour groundwater, which provides drinking waterto many homes in the area?
PROLONGED LOW-LEVEL exposure to methaneis reported by other communities to cause fa-tigue, pneumonia, loss of appetite, headaches,irritability, poor memory and dizziness. What isthe safe level of exposure to methane sincemethane will be released in the air by routineblow-downs and leakage? When safe levels areexceeded, how will Dominion respond?
COMPRESSOR STATIONS have lowered theproperty values of the surrounding residentialcommunities in other regions. Has this beenstudied for the Leesburg impacted community?What average reduction in home value shouldbe anticipated?
IN DOMINIONS PLANS, how much money willbe spent on developing fossil fuel infrastruc-ture, and how much will be spent on renewableresource infrastructure?
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byLesli
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outs up to 80 days per year.The Down to the Wire cam-
paign seeks to convince the publicthe utility should try to either burythe line beneath the river, find analternative route or explore alter-native energy options that wouldnot mar views at sites along theriver, including Historic James-towne, the Colonial Parkway,Carters Grove and the CaptainJohn Smith Chesapeake NationalHistoric Trail, which is a route forboaters that weaves through therivers of the Chesapeake Bay.The coalition includes the Na-
tional Trust for Historic Preserva-tion, the Chesapeake Conservancy,the Garden Club of Virginia, theNational Parks Conservation Asso-ciation, Preservation Virginia andScenic Virginia.Read more at http://bit.ly/1CwVVCO
Contact info:National Trust forHistoric PreservationThe Watergate Office Building2600 Virginia Avenue,Suite 1100Washington, DC 20037(202) 588-6000(800) [email protected]
Calvert Citizensfor a HealthyCommunityOPPONENTS OF DOMINIONS Cove Pointproject found out with less thantwo days notice that the companywas planning a groundbreakingceremony March 25. Calvert County
Commissioners announced theywould be attending the event,which was closed to the public dueto security concerns. Next, therewas less than two hours notice thata certain guest would attendMaryland Governor Larry Hogan.Also present were Dominion CEOTom Farrell and head honchosfrom the Indian and Japanese firmsthat have signed 20-year contractsfor the liquefied natural gas to beexported to theircountries. Withno time to orga-nize a protest,CCHC leaderTracey Eno fo-cused her com-ments at theMarch 24 Board ofCounty Commis-sioners meetingon what she calledD o m i n i o n sTownbreaking.She decried thesecrecy surround-ing the event andsaid, Ive heardseveral commis-sioners say duringcampaign seasonthat they wouldhold Dominionsfeet to the fire.So, Im coming toyou today with the problems facedby those of us living near Dominionand asking for your help. She saidresidents need help to address theissues of noise, the ubiquitous pres-
ence of dump trucks and mud onthe roads, the deteriorating condi-tion of Cove Point Road, increasedlitter and road closures that all havea negative impact on residentsquality of life.
Friends of NelsonLOCAL AND STATE officials have sentletters to FERC questioning itspolicies and asking for additionaltime and opportunity to weigh in
on the proposedAtlantic CoastPipeline. Bothour U.S. Senators,Mark Warner andTim Kaine, sentletters to FERCc h a i r w o m a nCheryl LaFleurquestioning thepolicies and pro-cedures by whichthe agency re-views and re-ceives commentsfrom residentswho would be af-fected by pro-posed natural gaspipelines.LaFleur re-
sponded that allc o m m e n t s ,whether deliv-ered in person or
in writing, are considered equallyin the decision-making process,and that they should contact heragain with any specific concerns(like the way many residents were
SUNOCO
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Gov Larry Hogan leads in the BOCCs promiseof putting Dominions feet to the fire.
Are you warm enough, Dom?Weve got over 20,000 of theseto burn in Lusby alone!
Are you warm enough, Dominion?Weve got over 20,000 of these
to burn in Lusby alone!
Governor Larry Hogan takes a leadingrole in the BOCCs promise of putting
Dominions feet to the fire.
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not permitted to speak at theFERC meeting held in Nelson inMarch. See the first issue of BDSfor more on that.)The Nelson County Board of Su-
pervisors also got involved by send-ing two letters to LaFleur. Oneasked the commission to extend itsscoping period for the pipelineduring which FERC accepts publiccomments on a proposed projectby an additional 30 days; a secondletter requested an additional scop-ing meeting in the county.Read more at http://bit.ly/1C3jpiZ
All Pain, No GainA NEW MEDIA campaign called AllPain, No Gain launched in lateMarch with roots in Nelson andAugusta counties with the goal ofconvincing Dominion Resources touse existing rights of way as routealternatives for the Atlantic CoastPipeline.Tom Harvey, one of the cam-
paign organizers, said the group is
not against infrastructure, but feelsthere already is enough in Virginia.There are already 3,000 miles ofpipeline in Virginia, he said.Thats a lot of miles, do we reallyneed more?Read more at http://bit.ly/1P94TQN
Myersville Citizensfor a RuralCommunityMEMBERS OF MYERSVILLE Citizens for aRural Community protested againstDominion and its Leidy South com-pressor station expansion plannedfor their town when Dominion heldan open house on March 31.Our message is this: Dominion
lies, said Ann Nau, a town resi-dent and vice president of the citi-zens group. As part of her protest,Nau sported a long, Pinocchio-style nose crafted from empty toiletpaper rolls to illustrate her opposi-tion to the company. They told usthey want to be good neighbors,and then they sued our town, said
Nau, referring to the two lawsuitsthe company filed against the townwhen its application to build thefirst compressor station was de-nied. Theyve already exceededthe noise limits, theyve damagedtown infrastructure. Theyre notgood neighbors.Watch the video athttp://bit.ly/1a6yHwX
We AreCove PointWE ARE COVE POINT has been build-ing steam while Dominion hascontinued its preliminary con-struction of the LNG export termi-nal and liquefaction plant. Sincethe last Beyond Dominion Sentinel,we've been building a strongerfoundation, adding members (lo-cally and from afar) and doing a lotof reaching out into other commu-nities resisting the various tenta-cles of the natural gas industry.We've been at industry-sponsoredopen houses, community-led orga-nizing summits, action camps andteach-ins. It's heartwarming howmany people seem to know howbig an issue this Cove Point exportterminal would beand how it im-pacts the fight they have wherethey live. Our resistance is sprout-ing fast with the springtime!We urge everyone to support us
and represent your campaign bycoming to our March for CalvertCounty to be Dominion-Free! OnMay 30, we'll be walking fromSolomons Island to Lusby to regis-ter our opposition to this project.Speakers will kick us off, and foodand fellowship will follow the walk.We'd love to see you there!More information aboutWe Are Cove Point and theMay 30 march can be found atWeAreCovePoint.org.
SEEDTWO WOMEN took the fight againstDominion's Cove Point LNG ter-minal to a new level by scaling acrane on the work site on February3 and hanging a banner calling forDominion to get out of Cove Point.On April 20, Carling Sothoronand Heather Doyle, members ofStopping Extraction and Exports
Saturday May 30, 20159am-3pm
MARCH FORCALVERT COUNTY
TO BE DOMINION-FREE!
9:00am Rally at Solomons Boardwalk
9:30am Walk begins: From Solomons,past Area B barge pierup Route 4then onto HG Trueman where we will
reclaim Lusby as OUR town!then down Cove Point Road (OUR road!)
ending at Cove Point Park, OUR park!1:00pm Picnic & fellowship at Cove Point Park
6 MILE MARCH from SOLOMONSto COVE POINT PARKWeAreCovePoint.org
"Join the flock for a six-mile walk!
S
SPONSORS:WE ARE COVE POINT, CALVERT CITIZENS FOR AHEALTHY COMMUNITY, BEYOND EXTREME ENERGY, CHESAPEAKECLIMATE ACTION NETWORK, SIERRA CLUB CALVERT COUNTY
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Destruction (SEED), were sen-tenced by a visiting judge in aCalvert County courtroom. He gavethem double the sentence thatother defenders got at their trials inFebruary40 days in jail or 40 dayssuspended, with three years' unsu-pervised probation and a $500 fine,reduced to $200 because authori-ties confiscated their climbing gear.Sothoron chose probation, whileDoyle chose jail, which means shewill have no fine and no probation.The judge doubled their sentencebecause they both had priorrecords for similar actions.Supporters of the women from
We Are Cove Point and BeyondExtreme Energy called the sen-tences outrageous for a trespass-ing violation.Doyle would love to get mail.
You can write her at:Heather G. Doyle, #294461Calvert CountyDetention Center,PO Box 9,Barstow, MD 20610.
Check this link to learn about whatrestrictions apply:http://www.co.cal.md.us/index.aspx?NID=289Follow SEED at bit.ly/nolngmd.
MARYLAND LEGISLATURE PASSES AFRACKING MORATORIUMTHE MARYLAND HOUSE and Senatehave both passed a 2.5-year mora-
torium on fracking. The bill nowgoes to Governor Larry Hogan,who can either sign or veto it. If hedoes neither after 30 days, it auto-matically becomes law.Read more athttp://ecowatch.com/2015/04/10/maryland-passes-fracking-ban/
THE FUTURE FOR LNG PROJECTSSEVERAL RECENT ARTICLES have beenwritten about thelikelihood that mostof the proposed LNGexport facilitiesaround the U.S. willnot be built due tothe drop in oil prices,but Cove Point is stillconsidered to be alikely candidate toproceed.Read more athttp://bit.ly/1CwwotF
BXE DISRUPTS MARCHFERC MEETINGABOUT 20 BXE members again dis-rupted the monthly meeting ofFERC, this time focusing squarelyon our demand that the agencymake a decision on the request fora rehearing on the permit itgranted to Dominion to moveahead with its Cove Point LNGproject. Once FERC releases itsdecision (assuming it reiterates itsapproval), Earthjustice is preparedto file a lawsuit to stop the project.Read more athttp://ecowatch.com/2015/03/23/
protesters-distrupt-ferc-meeting/
. . . AND AGAIN IN APRILA HALF DOZEN BXEmembers stationedthemselves around the room at theFERC Commissioners meeting,the first at which Norman Baypresided as chair, and the first atwhich Federal Protective Servicespolice had been brought in to dealwith them. Amid sports banter be-tween Bay and his predecessor,Cheryl LaFleur, protesters againcalled on FERC to stop construc-tion of Dominions LNG terminalat Cove Point, Maryland.Check out this video and article athttp://www.dcmediagroup.us/2015/04/16/protestors-bring-ongoing-situation-to-new-ferc-chairman/
SENECA LAKEVICTORY!DOZENS OF PROTESTERSwho had nonviolentlyblocked CrestwoodMidstreams efforts tostore the products offracking in abandonedsalt caverns belowSeneca Lake had theircharges dismissed onMarch 18 by a judgewho said he did so in
the interests of justice. This is atremendous victory for the anti-fracking movement that has beenstanding up for their communityand for the Earth.Although their fight is far from
over, we send our love and solidar-ity to the residents of the beautifulFinger Lakes region of New York.Though not a Dominion project,the peoples victory here inspiresus to keep pushing ahead.Read this moving statement fromFaith Meckley from We Are SenecaLake about the dismissals athttp://theithacan.org/blogs/justice-half-served/
DOMINIONDOMINION
GET OUTGET OUTNNOO FFRRAACCKKEEDD GGAASS EEXXPPOORRTTSS
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FREE Bird