Saugerties Community Forum on Crude Oil Risks

When:

June 17, 2014: 7:00PM to 9:00PM

Where:

Saugerties Library, 91 Washington Ave, Saugerties, NY 12477 map

Riverkeeper will make a presentation about the risks of crude oil transportation in the Hudson Valley as part of a community forum in Saugerties on June 17.

The educational forum is hosted by Frack Free Catskills. It will include a presentation by Riverkeeper, followed by a forum with panelists including Riverkeeper, PAUSE (People of Albany United for Safe Energy) and others. There will be ample time for Q&A.

The forum is free, and the public is encouraged to attend.

Background: Until recently, there was little or no crude oil transported in the Hudson Valley. The growth of oil production in North Dakota and elsewhere has spurred industry to make the Hudson Valley into an international conduit for crude oil. Up to 5 billion gallons of crude oil is being transported through the Hudson Valley annually by train, barge and ship. All three transportation methods – what is being called by industry a “virtual pipeline” – could affect our communities and environmental resources. Spills, explosions and fires—some resulting in the catastrophic loss of life—have occurred elsewhere on this virtual pipeline. Further, proposed Hudson River oil facility expansions and the proposed development of a regional pipeline could increase the transport of crude oil locally by as much as 3.8 billion gallons annually.