FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, May 21, 2018
Contact: Kenneth Londono, kenneth.londono@berlinrosen.com, 646-335-0420
Joseph Campbell, muchado2@gmail.com, 607-769-4639
BREAKING: A Crestwood Subsidiary’s Attorney Acknowledges Issues with Salt Caverns Under Seneca Lake
Gas Free Seneca and Earthjustice Call for Cuomo to Reject Crestwood’s Dangerous Gas Storage Plan
Crestwood Proposes to Store Millions of Gallons of Propane Gas In Caverns That Need Additional Testing
SENECA LAKE, NY – The following statements by Gas Free Seneca and Earthjustice are in response to a letter to the Department of Environmental Conservation by Crestwood’s subsidiary, FLLPG’s attorney Kevin Bernstein that called for additional testing of the unlined salt caverns under Seneca Lake.
Gas Free Seneca Statement
“The gas storage project has kept families and businesses in the region in limbo for nearly 8 years while a DEC judge reviewed independent expert reports submitted during an Issues Conference.” said Joseph Campbell, President of Gas Free Seneca. “The judge decreed that all of those reports should be entered into the record, making it possible for DEC Commissioner Seggos to deny permits for the project, based on the numerous unanswered questions and risks the project poses to public safety and to air and water quality, not to mention the threat to the robust Finger Lakes economy and the character of our community. This new information suggests what we knew all along, that the caverns are not stable and the gas could migrate if stored there. It is inconceivable to us why Governor Cuomo would not work with his DEC Commissioner, Basil Seggos, to deny the permits in light of this development.”
“For years, we’ve been saying that the unlined caverns under Seneca Lake can’t safely hold the LPG that Crestwood wants to store there,” said Yvonne Taylor, Vice President of Gas Free Seneca. “Now Crestwood’s subsidiary, FLLPG’s attorney is saying there are issues with the caverns that require more testing. This is one more critical reason for Governor Cuomo to reject this dangerous proposal now.”
Earthjustice Statement
“The applicant’s attorneys have not fully disclosed the conditions that prompted the sudden need for additional testing,” said Deborah Goldberg, an attorney with Earthjustice. “All well studies and other data that are not in the official record should be released for independent third-party review, including all sonar studies completed since 2013, so that Finger Lakes residents can be sure their concerns about cavern integrity are receiving serious, unbiased evaluation.”
Earthjustice additionally issued a letter on behalf of Gas Free Seneca in response to Bernstein letter, you can view the letter in full, here.
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Crestwood, a Texas-based corporation, is proposing a plan to store dangerous, explosive liquefied petroleum gases in abandoned salt caverns under the shores of Seneca Lake. Over 450 Seneca Lake property owners, 500 local and regional businesses on the GFS and FLXWBC coalitions and 32 municipalities representing 1.2 million New Yorkers oppose the proposal.
Kenneth Londono
- 646.335.0420
- 917.574.8756
kenneth.londono@berlinrosen.com
berlinrosen
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