- This event has passed.
Trial for Activists Arrested for Spectra Energy Blockade
January 15, 2016 @ 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
MEDIA ADVISORY
Press Contact:
Courtney Williams, Resist AIM
Press Conference: Residents and Activists Arrested for Blockade of Spectra Energy Construction Yard Go to Trial
Montrose 9 will plead not guilty using “Necessity Defense,” claiming threat to health and climate justifies direct action
Cortlandt, NY – Friday at 11:30 am outside Cortlandt Town Court, there will be a press conference held ahead of the trial for the Montrose 9, nine activists arrested for disorderly conduct on November 9, 2015 for halting work on Spectra Energy’s Algonquin Pipeline by blocking access to their construction yard in Montrose, NY. This follows closely on the heels of the precedent-setting trial of the Delta 5 in Washington State, where climate justice activists are making the case that their actions to stop a mile-long oil train were necessary in the face of climate change. The Montrose 9 will also be using the Necessity Defense, claiming their actions were necessary to prevent harm to the public posed by the pipeline construction.
WHAT: Press Conference for the Necessity Defense of the Montrose 9
WHO: Speakers at the Press Conference will include
Seth Freach, Councilman for the Town of Cortlandt
Counsel for the Montrose 9 Martin R. Stolar, a well-respected social justice lawyer
Members of the Montrose 9
WHERE: 1 Heady St.
Cortlandt Manor, NY 10567
WHEN: 11:30 AM
WHY: The Necessity Defense will argue that the actions of the Montrose 9 were warranted given the imminent and grave risks Spectra’s Algonquin Pipeline construction poses on a local, regional, and global level. Locally, Spectra’s construction activities and pipeline infrastructure will emit pollutants that harm public health and pose a serious risk of rupture in a densely populated area. Regionally, the pipeline endangers Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant in Buchanan, NY where Spectra’s plans include a new pipeline within 105ft of critical plant infrastructure. The pipeline would also further exacerbate climate change – Spectra’s AIM pipeline would carry fracked methane gas, a greenhouse gas that is 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20 year period. Martin R. Stolar, counsel for the Montrose 9 will argue that their activity was justified because it was done to stop a danger more harmful than the violation of the law, and only after all other legal and regulatory options had been exhausted. Despite objections from residents, scientists, medical professionals, safety experts, and elected officials, the project was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and also green-lighted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
For more information, check out the Facebook event HERE
Online: www.resistaim.wordpress.com
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/resistaim
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/ResistAIM