Making noise in Pendleton

Yesterday on Channel 7/WKBW News the lead story at 6 PM was about a noise ordinance in Pendleton that would have made it this side of illegal to do anything outside – mow your lawn, walk your dog, run a snow thrower, drive your car, you get the picture. 

An anonymous letter sent to residents of the rural community claiming that the noise ordinance was going to be passed and that it would make like in the community impossible to live.  Key word?  Anonymous.  Nobody knows the origins of the letter.

The story then went to the Pendleton Action Group – a group that is working to stop the Northern Access Pipeline.  This is the pipeline that National Fuel wants to build in order to pump fracked gas from Pennsylvania to Canada.  Fracking companies are losing money left and right because of low gas and oil prices, so they need to be able to get their gas to wherever they think the demand is.  In this case, Canada. 

National Fuel needs to build a compressor station in Pendleton in order to make the pipeline work.  The first problem is the location – near wetlands.  Oil spills are hard enough and dangerous to clean up as it is.  Fracked gas – with the cancer causing chemicals in it – will be even worse.

The second problem is the noise – National fuel states that the noise that the continually running compressor will be “ambient noise” – no different than the noise that exists in the community right now.  Capitalists will say anything to make a sale.

I grew up outside of Arcade, NY in the 1980’s.  A group of people wanted to build a racetrack and made the claim that it would be no louder than a farmer’s tractor working in a field.  We all laughed at that joke.  And, to this day according to people that I know in the community, on Friday nights nobody goes outside when they are racing because the “farm tractors” are running way too loud.  So loud that they can be heard in Machias, Delevan, Yorkshire, and basically anywhere in that community.  Sunday mornings are wasted when the 4 wheelers are racing.  No more quiet Friday nights or Sunday morning breakfasts.

To say the least, the people of Pendleton need to be skeptical of this compressor and the whole project.  As stated before, capitalists will say whatever they think some wants to hear in order to make “the sale. “  I suspect that the flyer was generated by someone in favor of the pipeline and is attempting to use fear and scare tactics to oppose the actual noise ordinance that the Pendleton Town Board will be discussing this Monday (January 11) at an open session board meeting.

The Town Board needs to stand firm on this compressor and against the pipeline project as a whole.  The environmental damage of this project to this quiet rural community is great.  Aside from the potential damage from a pipeline leak, the constant droning from a compressor running 24/7 will ruin the sounds of nature and the natural ambience that the community enjoys.

The Town Board needs to pass a noise ordinance that works to shut down this environmental threat.

And the person that sent out the phony noise ordinance fear and smear letter needs to come out of their hiding space. I suspect that it is a supporter of the pipeline that sent the letter. 

Link to Story: http://www.wkbw.com/news/pendleton-residents-concerned-with-national-fuel-plans

And to WKBW’s credit – they are the only one reporting on this story.  Buffalo broadcast media have been very weak in their coverage of this story.  WKBW has been good in keeping up on this story.

Update: January 13, 2016

The noise ordinance is on hold after a stormy meeting on Monday (Jan 11, 2015).

It was a rough draft, admittedly, and needed work. The meeting was supposed to be a work session of sorts on the proposed law.

There were numerous problems with it, admittedly. The most important problem, and greatest mystery was the authorship of the unsigned letter that claimed that the law would have made it illegal to mow your lawn or put a barking dog outside.

Whoever wrote the mystery letter played right into the emotions and fears of the people of Pendleton.

My opinion: It was done by a supporter of the National Fuel pipeline and compressor station that would have created a continuous hum while it helped pump compressed fracked gas to Canada.

Ask Michael Parenti's favorite question: Cui bono? Who profits?

That will go a long way in solving this mystery.