On June 15th, the Council listened as 16 people testified against the proposed Pilgrim Oil Pipelines (compared to two in favor). That event is covered here: Rensselaer Residents Speak Out Against Pilgrim Pipelines. However, Pilgrim lobbyists also appeared several times, including a private session (no minutes were made publicly available).

On July 6th only two City of Rensselaer residents spoke out against the Pilgrim pipelines (two non-residents also spoke), and so far, no business owners or people who identify as businesspeople — nor faith leaders from the Albany area or from Rensselaer specifically — have yet testified against the pipelines. We are, gladly, beginning to hear of support emerging from the faith community in Rensselaer, but that’s just a beginning.

We hope new voices will pipe up on July 20th at the Common Council meeting, and that business and church leaders, as well as environmental and social justice advocates, will call the Rensselaer Common Council members before hand to advocate for them to pass the Resolution Opposing Pilgrim Pipelines.

City of Rensselaer Common Council members names, wards, and phone numbers here.

This is an environmental justice community, where residents are now expressing a strong desire to stand up and stop polluting industries from harming their health and well-being. As Marion Webber put it, “Most of our children have asthma.” The people of Rensselaer have had enough.

The proposed Pilgrim pipelines would harm City property, harm and risk the waterfront, pollute the air and climate, and provide no long-term jobs to Rensselaer residents. The Hudson River would be put at risk for 50 years or more, with 16.8 million gallons of toxic, dangerous and flammable hazardous crude oil and refined petroleum products going under the river every day. Oil pipelines spill every other day, according to the U.S. statistical average based on federal data; and oil pipelines spill far more than any other form of transportation (train, truck or boat).

So please make your voices heard, and please let City of Rensselaer (and area) business owners, residents, friends and neighbors know to call their Common Council members BEFORE the Weds. July 20th Common Council meeting to say, “Please vote YES on the Resolution Opposing Pilgrim Pipelines.” Keep up the great work, and make City of Rensselaer the 27 municipality in New York State to oppose Pilgrim pipelines.