Friday, May 18, 7 pm

Trumansburg Fire Hall, Main St./Rt. 96

Sustained protest and community unity have led rural communities across Latin America to victories against extractive industries that threaten their natural resources and way of life.

In New York State, we’re in the early stages of a fight against hydrofracking that poses threats to clean water, local economies and human and environmental health. We would do well to learn from communities who are farther along in similar struggles, both to recognize patterns in industry strategy and to adapt methods of community creativity.

CUSLAR Coordinator Tim Shenk will share from his experience as part of the organization “Justicia Global” based in the Dominican Republic in opposing mining projects, as well as highlight case studies from around the region. Cristián Alarcón Ferrari will share concrete energy alternative strategies practiced by farmers and peasants in Brazil.

Sponsored by Back-to-Democracy of Trumansburg. www.backtodemocracy.org.

CUSLAR ON THE WEB: Read CUSLAR’s April 2012 Newsletter, read about, watch or listen to recent CUSLAR events, and learn about upcoming activities and classes, all on the newly relaunched www.cuslar.org.

To receive updates: send a blank email to cuslar-l-request@cornell.edu and “like” us on the new CUSLAR Facebook Page.

Why a Day of Action? We have many reasons: We are tired of our communities being divided and conquered by gas corporations in pursuit of ever higher profits. The water that flows through our bioregion is being sold off for fracking as fast as those granted responsibility for our rivers and watersheds can rubber stamp withdrawal permits. Despite promises of gas drilling and fracking operations creating a surplus of local and regional jobs, our region is teeming with highly paid out of state rigworkers, engineers and other “specialists”, while the local jobs largely consist of temporary truck driving and dangerous “roustabout” positions. We are being lied to and manipulated, but we refuse to be passive participants in these destructive
activities.

While there are many differences between fracking, mountaintop removal coal mining and the tar sands megaprojects, they are all too similar in their
effects on the health of human and animal communities. Countless trucks clog the roads, the air fills with pollutants, the water becomes undrinkable, land and forests are cleared, and communities suffer from conflict and illness.

One of the main goals of the Occupy Well Street campaign is to create solidarity among all those resisting energy extraction. Our communities may be
separated geographically, but voices and actions can offer effective support between regions and allow us to continue sustaining our struggles against
extraction. We must communicate within and between movements, share information and knowledge, and support each others’ efforts in order to grow and evolve.

The last place the gas companies want concerned community members to show up is at their fracking sites, pipeline projects, compressor stations, water withdrawal sites, and other important facilities. The points of production are where the physical damage occurs, and we invite you to join us in throwing a wrench in the gears on May 19th!

Groups or individuals participating in the Day of Action are invited to send articles, after action reports, photographs or press releases from their events to occupywellstreet (at) riseup.net. Submissions will be posted on http://www.owsstopfracking.org/

What have participants in the Occupy Well Street campaign been up to? Groups have picketed active fracking sites, blocked industry truck traffic, drawn attention to water withdrawal sites hidden in plain sight, held industry analysts and “reporters” accountable in public meetings, and distributed
literature at pro-industry events. Occupy Well Street is committed to finding common ground between all those fighting extraction industries, and networking is ongoing. Stay tuned for more news soon!

347 Ridge Road  Lansing, NY 14882

Deborah Rogers will be speaking on the economics of shale gas. She is a financial analyst, who lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, where the first widespread use of high volume hydrofracturing for shale gas was used (in the Barnett Shale). The results here are not what the gas companies had promised, and Deborah has done an excellent job of documenting what has happened. This talk is well worth listening to no matter what side of the issue you are on. She has an informative website at:
http://energypolicyforum.com/

After Rogers presentation, Dr. Sandra Steingraber, an award winning author, will speak about environmental health issues related to gas development. She is an eloquent speaker and the recent recipient of the Heinz Award for her work related to environmental health writing.

Please come join us for a very informative evening. Both speakers are well worth seeing. Please contact others and encourage them to come also.

The Board, in consultation with the town’s attorney, has also developed answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the ban which can be viewed here http://www.townofcaroline.org/2012/04/18/faqs-on-gas-drilling-ban/

A copy of the draft language of the proposed local law to ban gas drilling and related activities is available here (PDF)
http://www.townofcaroline.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Gas_Drilling_Ban_DRAFT_1.pdf

Copies of the proposed local law and the FAQs are also available in the Town Notebooks located at
- Speedsville Store,
- Dandy Mini Mart, Slaterville Springs
- Town Library in the Town Hall Annex
- Brookton’s Market

Questions or comments regarding the proposed Ban should be sent to Town Clerk clerk@townofcaroline.org
Town of Caroline
PO Box 136
Slaterville Springs, NY 14881

The Clerk will file your remarks and distribute them to all board members.

At the May 1 and May 8 Board meetings, 7 pm, Town Hall, the Board will consider what it has learned during the Question and Answer session and will determine next steps in the public process.

This event will offer a look at how gas leases affect residents and towns legally and financially. There will be three presentations:

“Problems with Gas Lease Termination” – Joseph J. Heath, Esq.

“Gas Leases and Residential Mortgages” – Greg May of Tompkins Trust Company

“Impacts of Gas Leases on Homeownership and Mortgages” – Elisabeth N. Radow, Esq.

After the presentations, there will be ample time for questions and conversations with the speakers.

For more info, contact newfield.pause@gmail.com

All towns and counties in the Southern Tier should send representaties to this 

Even if your town has passed a ban on fracking, it can still become a greasy spot on the frack truck highway 

If your town has passed an ordinance – come see how it stacks up when reviewed by the experts 

Protect your town roads. Protect your county roads.  Adopt road use ordinances. 

If your Town Super does not have a Road Use Agreement in place by Labor Day, get a new Town Super 

Tuesday, May 8, 2012 Location: New York State Grange 

100 Grange Place, Cortland, NY 13045 

Does the prospect of more truck traffic than your municipal roads are accustomed have you worried? 

How can you protect the highway infrastructure and the taxpayers? 

Event expenses of $250 to be shared by participants – if 50 register then $5 each 

7:15 am Doors Open 

7:45 am Welcoming Remarks 

8:00 am Road Structure and Allocating Damage Costs Equitably 

Lynne Irwin, Director. Cornell Local Roads Program 

9:15 am Options for Managing Truck Traffic 

Michael Kenneally, Esq. Associate Counsel.

Association of Towns of the State of New York

10:00 am Break 

10:15 am Strategies for Negotiating Road Use Agreements 

Mark Sweeny, Esq. Whiteman Osterman and Hanna, LLP 

11:15 am Moderated Panel “Questions and Discussion” 

12:00 pm End of Program 

For Registration Contact: Michelle Pottorff at MPottorff@tompkins-co.org

Come prepared with any specific questions or concerns  you would like our panelists to address!

Questions may be emailed in advance to

MPottorff@tompkins-co.org