The
Forum:
Take the
time to learn the truth
To the Editor on Nov. 24:
Protest for purpose has a long and great tradition in this country.
People who take the time to research, understand, ask questions, and
enter dialogues with those they oppose before protesting are admirable.
People who have determined that every other avenue is closed to them
and then choose to protest – without breaking the law –
should be vaunted. This is how change happens. It does not happen when
people who protest are ignorant of the issues, take on passion projects
just for the sake of protesting. These people should be criticized –
not covered day in and day out by the media. Those who protest in order
to create “an amazing show,” as Sandra Steingraber has described
We Are Seneca Lake’s recent efforts, should be ashamed of themselves.
These “professional protesters” have been attracted to
this area because of fracking. Fracking does not take place in New York,
and the projects at the US Salt facility have absolutely nothing to
do with it. Nothing. People are entitled to oppose fracking, but it
has nothing to do with continuing the decades long safe practice of
storing propane or natural gas in salt caverns near Seneca Lake.
I have lived and worked in Schuyler County and surrounding areas for
decades, and I know how much pride locals take in our community. I take
deep pride in the wine and tourism industry my neighbors have created
and I am honored to work at US Salt, a company that has stood as a pillar
of our community for more than a century. The ongoing protests outside
of Crestwood’s decades old storage facility in Reading, NY represent
the worst kind of troublemakers. Too many of those protesting and being
arrested are out-of-towners. People from New York City, Ohio and California
here with one goal – disrupting our community. These people do
not know the issues or the history of the area, let alone the geology
and science. They are not preventing anything from being constructed;
all they’re doing is disturbing the work that has gone on day
in and day out for decades and endangering dozens of hard working people.
I wonder how many of the protesters are aware that natural gas has
been stored at the site they are blocking since 1997. I wonder if they
know that propane was stored at the same site from 1964-1984. I wonder
if they know that natural gas and propane are stored right across the
street at the Enterprise facility. Do they know that propane has been
stored in Steuben County and Cortland County since the early fifties?
I wonder how many of them took the time to learn these facts.
Most importantly, I wonder if they know that US Salt has been here
for a century and is the largest employer and taxpayer in the county.
Crestwood is not a “foreign” company; it has been an active
participant since purchasing Inergy, investing more than $830 million
in New York State including more than $278 million in Schuyler alone.
That kind of investment is not something a company would make without
developing deep roots. The more than 180 employees in six counties across
the state know who Crestwood is and we know it has become an important
part of New York.
But it’s not just the daily work in Reading that is being disrupted.
Far more importantly, the protestors are forcing the sheriff’s
department to divert their resources and manpower so the protesters
can smile for a picture in handcuffs.. It’s costing us local tax
payers not just money but endangering us as well. Recently, a deputy
was redirected from going to the home of a resident who was suffering
from a heart attack to deal with out-of-town protesters. This deputy
– one of our hardworking, skilled, well-trained emergency responders
– was also a trained EMT who had a defibrillator in his car. But
he was sent to deal with civil disobedience and the local resident died.
I don’t know if this could have been avoided but it is far from
an “amazing show.”
I urge all my neighbors to take the time to learn the truth about these
projects, the history of the US Salt site and Crestwood’s contributions
to New York. There is a great deal of information available on the Internet.
Laws do not need to be broken, and our community does not need to be
placed at risk. As for the protesters who don’t live here: please,
on behalf of everyone who lives and pays taxes here, go home.
Michael Gilbert
Himrod, NY
Michael Gilbert is a member of the United Steelworkers District
4 and a long-time employee of US Salt.
|