The Climate Can’t Wait. March with Us 4/29

Just a few weeks ago, the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said carbon emissions don’t cause climate change — contradicting NASA and 97 percent of the world’s scientists. This is not normal.
The Trump administration has made it clear that it will do whatever it takes to dismantle climate protections and bury our voices.
But they do not realize this: We are seeds of the most dedicated and strongest kind. Since day one of Trump’s presidency, the most beautiful and resilient shows of resistance have continued to sprout up and grow across America. Mark my words: our resistance has just begun.
Join CCAN and our allies at the March for Climate, Jobs, and Justice (People’s Climate March) in Washington, D.C. on April 29th. On the hundredth day of Trump’s presidency, we’ll continue to spread our roots of resistance as we come together across issues to march on our nation’s capital. 
In 2014, nearly half a million of us took to the streets of New York City in the most powerful climate march of our time.1 We helped propel the Paris Climate Accord forward and organized for many other local climate victories across the country.
Every victory we’ve worked for is under attack with this new administration — even victories that make clear economic sense, like energy efficiency programs and the rule to capture excess methane from drilling on public lands. It’s now up to all of us to show that we’re not going away.
When we take to the streets on April 29th, we’ll send the White House and Congress the clear message that we’re not backing down. We’ll continue to fight for our climate, our communities, and our shared future.
We’ll march not just to resist — but to rise above and defeat the threats that Trump continues to unravel. The sound of our feet clicking together will echo our powerful show of unity, and then we’ll bring our unmatched fervor and dedication back to our local communities.

We’ll march to show the Trump administration: We will never stop fighting.

The People’s Climate March will not end in the streets. We’ll carry the drumbeat forward, as we march into our representative’s offices to demand action on climate. As we march into meetings before our local board of supervisors to insist on protection from fossil fuel companies. As we march into our communities to inspire others and ignite the passion that will continue to drive our movement forward.
The threat of Trump’s administration is too big for any of us to take on alone.
That’s why you should join us on April 29 at the March for Climate, Jobs, and Justice.  Sign up HERE to wear down your marching shoes a bit further and stand with us.
I hope to see you there.
 

  1. “Climate Change March to Descend on Washington in April.” January 2017. Inside Climate News.

CCAN praises landmark energy efficiency legislation

CCAN praises landmark energy efficiency legislation

Marylanders are expected to save $11.7 billion on energy bills over the next ten years with the passage of Senate Bill 184.

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Senate today gave approval to the strongest legislation in a decade designed to advance energy efficiency in the state. By a vote of 32-14, the chamber voted to pass Senate Bill 184. This bill would codify the “EmPOWER Maryland” program, ensuring that Maryland remains a national leader on energy efficiency in the electricity sector. The House passed a very similar version of this bill last week, meaning final legislation will likely be sent to Governor Hogan soon.

In July 2015, the Maryland Public Service Commission issued an order to strengthen the EmPOWER Maryland program, the state’s signature energy-efficiency program, by setting a 2 percent energy savings goal and updating the cost-effectiveness criteria. SB 184 would codify that order and ensure EmPOWER’s continued success in Maryland. The legislation would also make Maryland a top ten energy-efficiency state.

Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, released the following statement:

“Today, the Maryland Senate voted to fight climate change, create jobs, and save energy dollars for state ratepayers. SB 184 will ensure that Maryland remains a top ten energy-efficiency state. The least expensive way to meet Maryland’s future energy demand is to use less energy. On a dollar-for-dollar basis, it costs less to save energy through energy efficiency than it does to generate that same amount of energy from any type of power plant. SB 184 is common sense legislation, and its passage will help Maryland transition to a clean energy economy.”

MORE BACKGROUND: The current “EmPOWER Maryland” program has saved over 51 million megawatt-hours of electricity, resulting in more than $4 billion in total customer bill savings over the life of the measures. That’s the equivalent of enough electricity to power 850,000 residential customers for five years. The program has also created more than 2,000 Maryland jobs, and a new study from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy found that the program could create up to 68,000 new jobs in the state over the next 10 years.

With passage of SB 184, Maryland families and businesses are expected save $11.7 billion on their energy bills over the next ten years, and reduce the energy equivalent of closing 5 coal-fired plants over the next ten years, while cutting the carbon emissions of nearly 200,000 cars annually.

CONTACT:
Denise Robbins, denise@chesapeakeclimate.org, 608-620-8819,
Chesapeake Climate Action Network

Frostburg Approves Fracking Ban Measures, Becoming the Largest Western Md. City to Protect Water from Toxic Drilling

Frostburg Approves Fracking Ban Measures, Becoming the Largest Western Md. City to Protect Water from Toxic Drilling
City Council approves measures to ban fracking on city-owned land near critical water supplies and to ban the sale of water for fracking
Frostburg, Md. — The city of Frostburg tonight became the largest municipality in western Maryland to take local action to ban fracking. The Frostburg City Council voted unanimously to approve two measures designed to protect local water supplies from the toxic drilling practice. The Garrett County towns of Friendsville and Mountain Lake Park have also banned fracking.
The first Frostburg measure bans fracking on city-owned land in neighboring Garrett County that supplies the drinking water of thousands of Allegany County citizens. The second measure bans bulk sales of water by the city for the purposes of fracking. Both measures will go into effect after 15 days.
The vote followed months of organizing by the citizens’ group Frack-Free Frostburg, which gathered over 700 petitions and turned out hundreds of residents to rallies and hearings.
“Frostburg residents have sought out this citizens’ campaign, and the movement built over time,” said Kathy Powell, a Frostburg business co-owner and founding member of Frack-Free Frostburg. “We thank city officials for listening to their constituents and taking action to protect the city and our water supply from the harms of fracking.”
Frostburg joins a growing statewide movement of counties, cities, and citizens working to ban fracking across Maryland as the 2017 General Assembly session nears.
More than a dozen localities in Maryland have now approved or introduced measures to either ban fracking locally or to endorse a permanent, statewide ban. The list includes the western Maryland towns of Friendsville and Mountain Lake Park, the counties of Prince George’s, Montgomery, Anne Arundel, and Frederick, and the cities of Baltimore, Rockville, and Greenbelt.
“With a local ban saying ‘NO’ to fracking, we aren’t just saying ‘YES’ to a better quality of life — we are making sure it happens,” said Kit Pepper, a supporter of the Frostburg campaign. “We hope this provides a further push to state leaders to protect all of Maryland’s communities from fracking’s water pollution, compromised air quality, and poisoned, toxic well sites.”
Polling shows that, by a 2-to-1 margin, voters across Maryland support statewide legislation to ban fracking. Unless the General Assembly passes a permanent, statewide ban next year, Governor Larry Hogan’s administration could allow fracking to begin after October 2017, when the state’s moratorium will expire.
“A groundswell of support is building across Maryland to ban fracking,” said Brooke Harper, Maryland Field Director at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, and whose family roots are in Frostburg. “In 2017, it’s time for the General Assembly to follow the lead of western Maryland citizens and cities like Frostburg and pass a permanent, statewide ban.”
CONTACT:
Kathy Powell, 301-707-9900, powellkf@comcast.net
Brooke Harper, 301-992-6875, brooke@chesapeakeclimate.org

###

Packed House for Montgomery County Divestment Hearing

Last night, December 6, supporters of fossil-free investments packed a public hearing promoting Montgomery County’s Bill 44-16, a measure to divest the County’s direct investments in coal, oil and gas over a number of years. Councilmembers Roger Berliner and Nancy Navarro have co-sponsored the bill. Together with Councilmember Marc Elrich, a longtime supporter, they spoke at a crowded pre-hearing rally. The crowd then moved upstairs to almost fill the Council Hearing Room.
At the hearing, Montgomery County 350 President Jeff Weisner led off the testimony, followed shortly thereafter by CCAN Director Mike Tidwell. Reflecting the broad interest of the community, a total of 28 of 35 speakers testified in favor of the bill, including labor leaders, Montgomery County retirees, teachers, students and climate scientists. The essential point across each of the speakers for the bill was that County investments should not be aligned with a fossil fuel industry that is driving the planet towards a disastrously altered climate.
Prior to the hearing, Montgomery County 350 delivered approximately 2500 pro-divestment postcards and petitions to the Council. These postcards were gathered at storefronts, farmers markets and college campuses in a genuine grassroots effort. The bill will be considered by the Council in the new year. County residents who wish to voice their opinions on the bill can contact their members at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/contact.html.
dsc_0226
dsc_0263
dsc_0271
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
For more pictures from the hearing, visit CCAN’s Flickr album here.
Post By:
David Goodrich, Incoming President
CCAN Board of Directors

Virginians Launch ‘Pipeline Pledge of Resistance’ to Stop MVP and ACP Projects

Signers commit to engage in nonviolent civil disobedience, if necessary, to stop fracked-gas pipelines that threaten land, water and climate safety

Pledge takes inspiration from movements to stop the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines

Virginia citizens and allies launched a “Pipeline Pledge of Resistance” today, asking people dedicated to preserving clean soil and water and a safe climate to commit to joining acts of peaceful civil disobedience in order to stop proposed fracked-gas projects.
The call to action and pledge — available at http://nonewpipelines.org — is signed by the 23 citizens who blocked the gate to Governor Terry McAuliffe’s mansion in early October. The citizens, including an Army veteran, pastors, and coastal residents on the front lines of sea-level rise, were peacefully arrested calling on the Governor to help stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline and Atlantic Coast Pipeline using his administration’s regulatory authority under the Clean Water Act.
The pledge is inspired by pledges of resistance that have helped to galvanize movements to stop the Keystone XL Pipeline and, most recently, the Dakota Access Pipeline.
“If hundreds of us stand up, and pledge to resist these pipelines, including — if necessary — pledging to participate in peaceful, dignified civil disobedience, we can convince our federal, state, regional and local leaders that going forward is no longer politically feasible for them,” the letter states. “And that is our goal.”
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which has a long track record of rubber-stamping gas industry projects, is currently reviewing the proposed 301-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline and the proposed 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Separately, the McAuliffe administration has authority to review and deny essential permits for the projects under section 401 of the Clean Water Act.
As the call to action affirms: “We want to be ready to act at every remaining point in the decision-making process, from FERC’s final review of each pipeline to the McAuliffe administration’s review of each pipeline’s air and water permits.”
The proposed pipelines are part of an unprecedented proposed expansion of fracked-gas infrastructure across the Appalachian region of West Virginia, Virginia and beyond, with up to 19 total pipeline projects under consideration. Together, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Mountain Valley Pipeline threaten to bisect hundreds of miles of forests and farmland, jeopardize drinking water, and lock the region into decades of more reliance on fossil fuels.
The latest climate math shows that investments in new fossil fuels must stop now in order to avoid catastrophic climate change, including the permanent flooding of low-lying neighborhoods and military bases in coastal Virginia. Meanwhile, recent studies indicate that proposed pipelines in Virginia are part of a risky, regional overbuild by the gas industry, and are not necessary to meet the future energy needs of consumers.

Initiating signers of the “Pipeline Pledge of Resistance” include:

Russell Chisholm, a US Army veteran who served in Desert Storm and a landowner in Newport, Virginia, in Giles County whose land is just a few miles from the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline: “My wife and I fought for our nation’s security only to return home to be denied the basic security of our property rights and our right to clean water. When called to serve I did not shrug my shoulders and claim, ‘not my job.’ Yet that’s essentially what federal regulators and state leaders like Governor McAuliffe are doing now. I’m ready to put my body on the line again, standing with my neighbors to protect our clean water, mountain landscapes, and climate.”
Quan Baker, a resident of Norfolk, Virginia, where neighborhoods are increasingly flooded by rising sea levels driven by global warming: “The coast I call home is at risk of drowning because of fossil fuel pollution. Taking the climate crisis seriously, especially in a coastal state like Virginia, means keeping fossil fuels in the ground and shifting our communities rapidly to renewable energy. If it takes getting arrested to ensure that our leaders make the right choice and reject these pipelines, then I’m ready.”
Pastor Paul Wilson, who ministers to the Union Hill and Union Grove Baptist churches in Buckingham County in the impact zone of Dominion’s proposed compressor station for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline: “My church community is in the ground-zero zone of Dominion’s dangerous compressor station. This project would only propel fracked gas through our community, leaving us with toxic emissions, pounding noise, and explosion danger. We refuse to be sacrificial lambs for the sake of private profits. Getting arrested is a small sacrifice to stop the destruction of our peaceful, rural community.”
Izzy Pezzulo, a junior at the University of Richmond and member of the Virginia Student Environmental Coalition: “My generation will pay a steep price for more multi-billion-dollar investments in climate-wrecking fracked gas. At this point, the only responsible and rational choice is to keep fossil fuels in the ground. If our leaders continue to ignore the clear science, then it’s up to us to draw a clear line, standing with communities being directly affected now.”
Contact:
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org

###

Baltimore City Council Passes Resolution Urging Statewide Ban on Fracking

Baltimore, MD — Today the Baltimore City council unanimously approved a resolution urging state lawmakers to pass a ban on hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, in Maryland. The resolution comes on the same day that the Hogan administration formally published draft regulations to allow fracking to begin in the state as soon as October 2017.
There is currently a moratorium on fracking in Maryland, but the temporary ban ends next year. Several state lawmakers have vowed to introduce legislation to permanently ban fracking in the upcoming General Assembly session.
“It’s encouraging to see real leadership from the Baltimore city council on this issue,” said Rianna Eckel, Maryland Organizer at Food & Water Watch. “The resolution sends a strong message to Baltimore’s representatives in Annapolis that we expect them to protect our health and communities and ban fracking in Maryland.”
Baltimore joins a growing chorus of municipalities and counties across Maryland taking action to ban fracking. Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties have banned fracking, as have the western Maryland towns of Friendsville and Mountain Lake Park. Councilmembers in Anne Arundel and Frederick Counties have called for a statewide ban, and more cities across Maryland are poised to take similar action.
“Baltimore is part of a resounding wave of action across Maryland to ban fracking,” said Brooke Harper, Maryland Field Director at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “The last thing Baltimore needs is another source of toxic air pollution contributing to more asthma and respiratory diseases. With this vote, the City Council is sending a strong message to legislators in Annapolis that it’s time to protect our health by banning fracking once and for all.”
The Baltimore City vote helped kick off a full week of anti-fracking demonstrations led by the Don’t Frack Maryland coalition. Additionally, this past weekend, 40 faith leaders, including 15 Baltimore-area congregations, dedicated their religious services to climate change through the 2nd annual “Climate in the Pulpits” program. From Frostburg to Baltimore to Lusby, faith leaders lifted up a ban on fracking as part of caring for creation.

“As a Baltimore City resident with a home in Western Maryland, I know the natural splendors and resources that are at risk if we frack in this state. Without a statewide ban on fracking, the rivers, waterfalls and mountains that we all hold so dearly will be destroyed,” said Citizen Shale Board Member Steve Mogge. “The city council is right to stand with our neighbors in western Maryland and call for a ban on fracking across the state.”

Contact: Brooke Harper, brooke@chesapeakeclimate.org

###

The Don’t Frack Maryland coalition unites more than 100 business, public interest, community, faith, food and climate groups committed to passing a permanent, statewide ban on fracking in Maryland. For more information on the statewide campaign, go to http://www.dontfrackmd.org.

Oil Trains Ordinance Dies in Baltimore Judiciary Committee

On the morning of Tuesday, November 1st, around 35 supporters showed up to Baltimore City Hall adorned in red shirts to attend the city’s Judiciary Committee hearing. The coalition, made up of citizens, community association representatives, and health and environmental organizations, was there to support Ordinance 16-0621, also known as the oil train ordinance. The bill called upon the city to conduct the first-ever health impact and risk assessment of the dangers that explosive oil trains pose as they roll through Baltimore.
oil-train-blast-zone-baltimore In recent years the oil industry has increasingly used rail as a means to transport crude oil, and Baltimore has become a throughway for this highly explosive cargo, much of it from fracking operations in the Bakken shale fields of North Dakota. From 2013 to 2014, over 100 million gallons of crude oil were transported into Baltimore by rail to be offloaded and shipped to refineries. Much more crude oil likely travels through Baltimore. Maps show that oil train routes put 165,000 people in the “blast zone” in Baltimore – the area that could be directly impacted if a train were to derail and explode. Bakken crude oil is highly volatile and a number of high profile derailments — such as the 2013 derailment in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec that led to an explosion killing 47 people and leveling over 30 buildings — have caused communities around the North America to take action.
Normally, committee hearings in Baltimore are rather banal events – just another administrative hurdle in the life of aspiring city legislation. With the oil trains ordinance, however, things have not been so simple.
The ordinance was introduced by City Council President Jack Young in January 2016 with near-unanimous support amongst members of the Council. The bill represented a first step toward giving communities and emergency responders vital information about the severity of the risks to public health and safety. After being introduced, however, the legislation languished in legislative purgatory, with neither President Young nor Councilman Jim Kraft, the chair of the Judiciary Committee, scheduling a hearing. After months of reaching out to elected officials and hearing nothing in response, a group of concerned Baltimore citizens organized a silent protest at the September 13th Judiciary Committee hearing to urge elected officials to break the collective silence on Baltimore oil trains. It was at this hearing that Councilman Kraft announced that he had just scheduled a hearing for the oil trains ordinance on November 1st.
On the morning of November 1st the council chambers were packed. By the time the committee took up the oil trains ordinance, the hearing had already gone two and a half hours over schedule. After reconvening from a recess, Councilman Kraft issued a deadly blow to the ordinance: citing negative reports published by the city’s finance and law departments, he said that the committee would no longer be voting on the ordinance, although they would still open the hearing up to public comments. These negative reports seemingly came out of nowhere – especially the law department’s report, with whom CCAN had worked previously to vet the legality of the ordinance. By tabling the bill, the committee essentially killed the legislation for 2016, despite its broad support.
Natl-Aquarium-Oil-Train-Blast-Zone-editedEven in the face of these devastating last-minute changes, supporters held their ground. Nearly 20 community members, coalition partners, and organizations provided testimony on the need to do something about explosive “bomb” trains in the city.
“These trains run in close proximity to over 40 schools in Baltimore city,” said community member Ulysses Archie. “We need to know the threat that oil trains pose to our communities so we can be properly prepared.”
Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke stood resolute at the hearing, promising to take the lead on crafting a stronger ordinance at the start of the new legislative session in 2017. Additionally, January will mark the swearing in of a brand new City Council, filled with promising new council members that are eager to make a reputation for themselves as results-oriented progressives in the community.
While the death of Ordinance 16-0621 comes as a setback to those seeking environmental justice in Baltimore, it by no means signals the end of the campaign. With a strong legislative advocate and new City Council, 2017 looks to be a promising year for Baltimore City Government to take desperately needed action to put the brakes on dangerous crude oil trains.
To read more about the oil trains campaign in Baltimore read Part I and Part II of a recent Baltimore Brew series, and watch CBS coverage of the November 1st hearing.

Poll: Md. Voters Support a Ban on Fracking By 2-to-1 Margin

Poll: Md. Voters Support a Ban on Fracking By 2-to-1 Margin, Including in At-Risk Garrett County

Results show high voter intensity for a ban, widespread concern about water pollution and harm to health

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — With the clock winding down on Maryland’s two-year moratorium on fracking, a statewide poll of Maryland voters released today shows broad public support for permanently banning the risky drilling practice. In Garrett County, a prime target area for the oil and gas industry, voters oppose fracking by an even stronger margin.
The poll, conducted by the nonpartisan firm OpinionWorks, found that Maryland voters support a ban on fracking by a 2-to-1 margin, with a 56% majority supporting the ban and only 28% opposed. This poll follows on the heels of a recent Washington Post poll finding that a similarly strong majority of Marylanders opposes fracking.
The OpinionWorks poll provides additional insights for state legislators who will weigh legislation to ban fracking in the 2017 Maryland General Assembly. Key additional findings include:

  • In Garrett County, the margin of support for a fracking ban is more than 2-to-1, with 57% in support of a ban and only 27% opposed. (This result is based on statistically significant “oversampling” of voters in Garrett County, a likely ground zero for fracking in Maryland.)
  • By a 3-to-1 margin, voters say they are more likely to vote for a legislator who supports a fracking ban, with 40% more likely and only 13% less likely.
  • Voter intensity is significantly higher on the pro-ban side: 25% of voters are much more likely to support a pro-ban legislator, compared to only 7% who are much less likely.

“This new poll makes it clear that Maryland voters strongly support a ban on fracking,” said Senator Bobby Zirkin, D-Baltimore County, a longtime supporter of banning the practice, “strengthening the case that it is time for the Maryland General Assembly to act.”
Delegate Kumar Barve, D-Montgomery County, and chair of the House Environment and Transportation Committee added, “In 2015, my committee passed a two-year moratorium on fracking so that we could understand the science and all of the policy implications of hydraulic fracturing. This year we will take decisive action based on science and in the interest of all of the people of Maryland.”
The poll also found that Marylanders have a wide variety of concerns about the significant risks of fracking. Contamination of water was the top concern cited — with one-third of voters worried about the risks — while harm to human and animal health was the second-biggest concern. Only 6% of voters statewide did not express concern about the risks of fracking.
“Western Marylanders recognize, as the poll shows, that most of our friends and neighbors don’t want fracking,” said Paul Roberts, president of Citizen Shale and a small business owner in Garrett County. “That is a message difficult to convey in Annapolis when our own representatives fail to speak up for us. So, now is the time for Maryland to move ahead, with legislative leaders committed to securing a healthy and sustainable future for our community and families.”
More than 100 organizations have endorsed the Don’t Frack Maryland campaign and are working to pass a ban on fracking in the upcoming General Assembly session. Unless state legislators take action, Governor Larry Hogan’s administration could allow industrial drilling operations to begin in Maryland soon after October 2017, when the state’s moratorium will expire.
“The movement to ban fracking in Maryland is only growing, and these poll numbers reflect that,” said James McGarry, Maryland policy director at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “By banning fracking, Maryland legislators will not only be following the science, they’ll be following the wishes of voters statewide.”
In 2016, the town of Friendsville in Garrett County and Prince George’s County both passed local ordinances banning fracking, joining the town of Mountain Lake Park and Montgomery County. Members of the Anne Arundel County Council also recently wrote a letter urging their state legislative delegation to pass a fracking ban. Last week, nearly 200 citizens rallied in Frostburg and won a commitment from their City Council to advance a municipal ban on fracking.
“Governor Hogan has sought to keep a low profile on this issue, but the draft regulations released by his administration clearly indicate his intentions to frack our state,” said Mitch Jones, senior policy advocate at Food & Water Watch. “We know most Marylanders oppose fracking, so we’re urging state legislators to stand with the people, and stand up for a ban on fracking now.”
“It has been clear for several years that there is no safe way to regulate fracking,” said Josh Tulkin, director of the Maryland Sierra Club. “Health and environmental hazards are pervasive in every state that permits fracking. The only foolproof way to protect Marylanders from fracking is to keep it out of Maryland.”
ABOUT THE POLL: The OpinionWorks poll was commissioned by groups within the Don’t Frack Maryland coalition. For the statewide poll results, OpinionWorks surveyed 802 randomly selected registered voters across Maryland from August 18-30, 2016. The statewide poll has a potential sampling error of no more than + 3.5% at a 95% confidence level. In addition to the statewide sample, 1,250 additional interviews were distributed across five selected legislative districts and Garrett County. The additional oversample interviews were conducted from September 1-28, 2016.
VIEW THE POLLING MEMO AT:
http://www.dontfrackmd.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Maryland-Fracking-Ban-Poll-Memo-102516.pdf
VIEW THE NEWS RELEASE ONLINE AT: http://www.dontfrackmd.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ReleaseforOpinionWorksFrackingPoll10.26.16-2.pdf
CONTACT:
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org

###

The Don’t Frack Maryland coalition unites more than 100 business, public interest, community, faith, food and climate groups committed to passing a permanent, statewide ban on fracking in Maryland. For more information on the statewide campaign, go to http://www.dontfrackmd.org.

Poll: Va. Voters Want McAuliffe to Break With Dominion on Greenhouse Gases; Support State Legislation to Fund Coastal Protection Measures

For Immediate Release
October 20, 2016

Poll: Va. Voters Want McAuliffe to Break With Dominion on Greenhouse Gases; Support State Legislation to Fund Coastal Protection Measures

As the Governor announces updates to his pro-fossil fuel energy plan today, polling results show voters want big clean-energy commitments
RICHMOND, Va. — Governor Terry McAuliffe announced updates to his pro-fossil fuel energy plan today, drawing criticism from climate advocates. The plan continues to promote major new investments in fossil fuels that threaten to outstrip steps forward on solar power and efficiency. Concurrently, poll results released today show voters want the governor to take more transformative steps to promote clean energy and combat flooding from climate change.
Today’s polling results show that, by a nearly 2-1 margin, Virginians want the Governor to defy Dominion Power’s plans to significantly increase future greenhouse gas emissions in the state. Gov. McAuliffe has yet to confirm if he will hold Dominion accountable to total, net reductions in climate pollution from power plants under federal and state clean power rules.
By a strong margin, voters also want the Governor to finally support the proposed Virginia Coastal Protection Act. This bipartisan state bill would cap climate emissions statewide while funding strong flood-protection measures for coastal military bases and communities in Hampton Roads and across the state.
“The Governor continues to cut ribbons for small solar projects at schools while simultaneously supporting Dominion Power in massively increasing global warming pollution,” said Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “This poll today show voters want solutions to the scale of the problem. They want the Governor to break with Dominion and actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions under federal rules. And, with Hurricane Matthew still affecting coastal Virginia, voters want McAuliffe to support legislation that would finally and sustainably fund protections against sea-level rise and flooding.”
In the poll results, 55 percent of voters say the Governor should require Dominion to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while only 29 percent think the Governor is right to support Dominion’s planned pollution increase. Meanwhile, nearly half of Virginians think the Governor should support the Virginia Coastal Protection Act while just 33 percent oppose and 18 percent have no opinion.
The Governor’s strong prior support for fossil fuels over clean energy is cataloged in his own revised energy plan released today. The Governor touts that 400 Megawatts of solar are projected to be built in Virginia under his four-year term. That is the pollution-reduction equivalent of taking 100,000 cars off the road. But the Governor’s support of two massive pipelines for fracked gas would effectively trigger greenhouse gas pollution increases equal to nearly doubling the total pollution emitted by the state’s existing power plants. Apart from the plan, the Governor has previously supported offshore drilling for oil, which could have increased climate pollution equal to adding 24 million cars to Virginia’s roads.
Today’s polling data come as growing numbers of Virginians have expressed their disapproval with the Governor on a wide range of dirty energy issues. Polling results released in September showed that voters – by a nearly 2-1 margin – oppose the Governor’s support for massive fracked-gas pipelines in the state. They also showed that 71 percent of voters oppose his support for Dominion’s plan to bury millions of tons of coal ash next to major Virginia rivers. In early October, scores of activists picketed outside the Governor’s Richmond office over three days and 23 citizens were peacefully arrested outside his house protesting the pipelines, coal ash, and climate inaction.
The Cromer Group poll, commissioned by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, surveyed 732 randomly-selected Virginia registered voters in an automated phone survey on September 7, 2016. The survey carries a margin of error of + 4.0 percent at 95 percent level of confidence.
The poll results are available online at: http://chesapeakeclimate.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/CPP_VCPA_VA-Poll-Results.pdf
Contact:
Mike Tidwell, 240-460-5838, mtidwell@chesapeakeclimate.org
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org

###

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the biggest and oldest grassroots organization dedicated to fighting climate change in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC. CCAN is building a powerful movement to shift our region away from climate-harming fossil fuels and to clean energy solutions: www.chesapeakeclimate.org.

BREAKING: 23 citizens arrested at Va. Governor’s mansion to stop pipelines, protect water

For Immediate Release
October 5, 2016
Contact:
Kelly Trout, 717-439-0346 (cell), kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org
Mike Tidwell, 240-460-5838 (cell), mtidwell@chesapeakeclimate.org
23 Committed Citizens Block Gate to Va. Governor’s Mansion with Message to McAuliffe: ‘Yes, you can protect us from pipelines, coal ash and climate change’
–Act of civil disobedience is first-ever over climate change at the Virginia Governor’s mansion, inspired by the movements to stop the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines
–‘Protectors’ arrested include grandmothers, landowners, a pastor, an Army veteran, a student, and coastal residents facing flood danger
RICHMOND, Va. — Twenty-three committed citizens were peacefully arrested this afternoon after blocking the gate to the Virginia Governor’s mansion, engaging in civil disobedience to send the message to Governor Terry McAuliffe that his legacy — and the welfare of Virginians — depends on rejecting reckless pipeline and coal ash permits, and championing 100% renewable energy solutions.
The action was the first-ever act of civil disobedience over climate change and fossil fuel pollution at the Virginia Governor’s mansion. The citizens who were arrested are facing misdemeanor trespassing charges and received a court summons.
Participants ranged in age from 20 to 83 and include citizens of Giles County, Nelson County, Norfolk, Richmond, Shenandoah County, Buckingham County, and Leesburg. The group included grandmothers, an Army veteran, a nurse, faith activists, a student, and people living on the front lines of sea-level rise. Potomac Riverkeeper Dean Naujoks and Pastor Paul Wilson, who ministers to two churches in Buckingham County in the impact zone of Dominion’s proposed pipeline compressor station, also took part.
Today’s action comes as Virginia faces unprecedented pollution threats driven by corporations like Dominion Resources. The latest math shows that any new investments in fossil fuel extraction and infrastructure — including pipelines for fracked gas — could lock in runaway climate change, including the permanent flooding of Virginia’s coastline. Meanwhile, utility company plans to bury toxic coal ash waste next to major rivers could lock in the contamination of waterways and drinking water sources for decades to come.
In response to Governor McAuliffe’s recent remarks that he’s powerless over these issues, citizens are saying clearly and loudly, “Yes, you can act, and the time is now,” using the administration’s documented regulatory authority under the law and powerful political microphone.
“My wife and I draw our drinking water from a spring that could be disrupted or drained completely by the sort of trenching and blasting required by the Mountain Valley Pipeline,” said Russell Chisholm, a landowner in Newport, Virginia, in Giles County and a US Army veteran who served in Desert Storm. “Governor McAuliffe and his administration have the power to protect our clean water. It’s not a question of means but of the political will to do the right thing.”
“I’m getting arrested today because the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, under Governor McAuliffe, has failed to protect public health when it comes to the proper disposal of millions of tons of toxic coal ash in the state,” said Dean Naujoks, the Potomac Riverkeeper. “There are drinking wells, next to coal ash sites in Virginia right now, that are confirmed to be contaminated and yet the state still won’t tell citizens whether the wells are safe to drink or not. In the meantime, the Governor has the full power, on his own, to order DEQ to follow the much stronger and safer coal ash standards of North and South Carolina and Georgia. He should do that today.”
“The temperatures are rising, and the coastal city in which I live and raise my children increasingly floods even on sunny days,” said Kim Williams, a mother of two living in Norfolk. “Building new gas pipelines will only speed up and intensify the flooding. We need Governor McAuliffe to show courageous leadership, not buy into business as usual with fossil fuels.”
These “protectors” are taking action in solidarity with people across Virginia who face direct harm from fracked-gas pipelines that would bisect their land, from toxins polluting their drinking water, and from rising tides increasingly flooding their streets and homes.
“The Atlantic Coast Pipeline’s route comes within five miles of my home, and I’m ‘lucky,’” said Deborah Kushner of Nelson County. “I know people whose land is in the direct path of this pipeline. We must stop our dependence on fossil fuels that are heating our atmosphere, destroying mountains, raising sea levels and clogging and polluting waterways. If it takes marching, picketing and getting arrested, so be it. We are fighting for our survival.”
The action in front of Governor McAuliffe’s house echoes the demands of dozens of citizens who joined three days of picketing outside the Governor’s offices this week. Six hundred people marched through 99-degree heat to the Governor’s mansion in July, and more than 60 landowner, social justice, faith, student, riverkeeper, and climate groups sent an open letter to the Governor in June, outlining how he can champion energy and climate justice. Polling released in September indicates that Virginia voters oppose Governor McAuliffe’s current support for fracked-gas pipelines and for Dominion’s “cap in place” coal ash plans by significant, bipartisan margins.

As documented in fact sheets released this week, Governor McAuliffe’s administration can do the following using its direct regulatory authority and political leadership:

  • Stop fracked-gas pipelines using state permit authority under section 401 of the Clean Water Act.
  • Permanently protect waterways and drinking water from toxic coal ash, starting by rejecting Dominion’s “pollute in place” plans.
  • Champion state-based adaptation solutions and 100% renewable energy to keep Virginia’s coastal communities above water.

RESOURCES:
Profiles – View profiles of the “protectors” who were arrested at the Governor’s mansion: http://chesapeakeclimate.org/blog/citizens-reveal-why-they-are-risking-arrest-outside-of-gov-mcauliffes-mansion/
Photos – High-res photos of today’s act of civil disobedience will be available for use at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chesapeakeclimate/albums/72157673529402632

Fact sheet – The McAuliffe administration’s permit authority over fracked-gas pipelines: http://chesapeakeclimate.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/McAuliffe-Gas-Pipeline-Authority-Fact-Sheet-Oct-2016.pdf
Fact sheet – Three ways Gov. McAuliffe can act now to protect Virginians from pipelines, coal ash and rising sea levels: http://chesapeakeclimate.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/McAuliffe-Yes-You-Can-Fact-Sheet-Oct-2016.pdf

###