by Vera Scroggins
Here comes another gas pipeline through our county just south of the Broome County, NY border. This one is 30" wide and 124 miles long, 24 miles in Pa. and 100 miles in New York. We've been fracked since 2008 and now hold 1400 gas holes / gas wells, 45 Gas Compressor Stations spewing out their daily toxins and industrial noise, loads of industry traffic pounding our rural roads, and an endless web of high-pressure, gas pipelines crisscrossing the county till we are surrounded by Industrial squalor.
Some families said, "NO", to the pipelines cutting through their fields and forests and went to court to fight the Williams Energy Company and Cabot Oil and Gas. The Industry would not take , "No", for an answer. The Court ruled in favor of the Industry and now the reality of Eminent Domain has dominated these landowners' lives.
One Family decided to take a major stand and not just roll over for the Corporate Machine. This family, the Hollerans and Zeffers of New Milford, Pa. on Three Lakes Rd. have amassed a growing, supportive following of citizens who also want to help them defend the land, the trees, and property rights and value. The Trees in particular are Maple Trees that are tapped for their sap which is running way early this year since the end of January. They are cooking down the sap into Maple Syrup and continuing their Maple Syrup Business and now the area has also become a camp for Defending the Trees and Stopping the Constitution Pipeline at this property. Fourteen days of cooking sap over the fire and holding camp with shelters and signs and food for the Defenders and a Passionate, Caring Community supporting each other to do what others would not dare to do: Stop the Big Corporate Machine from rolling over another community, county, group of landowners to forever change the landscape of Rural America into a smoking, toxic, air and water-polluting Industrial Zone; all in the Name of the Capitalist Dream of never-ending profits at the expense of clean air and water and the Rights of Nature.
The Hollerans/Zeffers and Supporters will continue their Watch and Stand daily from about 7 am. to the evening hours till they can't cut anymore on April 1st. There is a time limit to all this. We stopped the Chainsaw Crew that came this past Wednesday to cut the trees and talked them out of it and Earth Justice has filed a motion to FERC to review and stay this pipeline. Come and join us and keep the Chainsaws away and meet folks with guts and a vision. A love for the land and their trees and their Rights as Americans to Choose what they want, the life they want to continue to lead, the Right to Protest and Resist any Invader including Corporate / Fracking America.
Contact the following for info: If you are planning to come, call Megan 570-709-3268 or Alex 570-269-9589 or Vera Scroggins 607-237-9685. The location is 2131 Three Lakes Road, New Milford, PA, 18834 or use these coordinates: 41.8272387, -75.7585062.
God / Goddess Bless the Trees and their Protectors. Check out this link of an article with photos and a video of the tree-cutting going on at other parts in our county that are undefended. http://www.dcmediagroup.us/2016/02/11/pennsylvania-farm-defended-constitution-pipeline-tree-cutters/ Reporting from Susquehanna County, Pa.: Vera Scroggins , Citizens for Clean Water, 607-237-9685