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Title: Pipe Dreams and Crude Proposals: Community Political Engagement with the Pilgrim Pipeline in the Hudson Valley
Citation Type: Miscellaneous
Publication Year: 2017
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Abstract: Pilgrim Pipeline Holdings, LLC has proposed the construction of a 178-mile dual line pipeline between Albany, NY and Linden, NJ for the purpose of transporting Bakken Crude oil. The company claims that this pipeline will reduce the need for other methods of crude oil transport, such as oil tankers and barges, while also providing a safer and more efficient method of crude oil transport overall. Ever since the company began surveying public and private properties along the proposed route, we have seen a confluence of grassroots activists and elected officials working together to show their opposition to this pipeline and spread awareness about the potential threats associated with the pipeline. This has resulted in the passing of 30 resolutions of opposition to the Pipeline in New York State alone. With so much current national opposition to the construction of pipelines, we wanted to conduct a study of stakeholder perspectives on this topic and produce a list of recommendations based on our findings. Through preliminary research, including the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), we found that the pipeline will increase the transport of crude by rail through the state of New York to feed the pipeline, which is a 40-year investment in fossil fuel energy that will have little economic benefit to either New York or New Jersey. Thirteen of our fourteen respondents (the outlier being a representative from Pilgrim Pipeline Holdings LLC) were ardently against the pipeline, primarily due to local or regional concerns for water and environmental quality degradation and the potential for spills. Overall, we found six recurring themes related to respondents’ concerns. Based on these findings, we suggest that the state avoid permitting the Pilgrim Pipeline and instead focus on fixing existing fossil fuel infrastructure and implementing renewable energy technologies in accordance to the New York State Energy Plan for 2030.
Url: https://www.skidmore.edu/wri/documents/10-ChristinaBellaSarah.pdf
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Authors: Lasky, Sarah; Battiste, Christina; Bennett, Isabella
Publisher: Skidmore College
Data Collections: IPUMS NHGIS
Topics: Natural Resource Management, Other
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