By Colleen Beverly Baublitz and Avantika Goswami
The Sioux at Standing Rock captivated the nation with their fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), which threatens their access to clean drinking water and increases our dependence on fuels that contribute to climate change. But while a similar battle rages on in our own backyard, few in New York City seem to notice.
The Pilgrim Pipelines are two parallel pipelines, each 170 miles long, proposed to be built between Albany, New York and Lindon, New Jersey along the New York State Thruway (I-87). They would carry Bakken shale oil southwards and transport flammable and carcinogenic petroleum products northwards, crossing five counties in New Jersey and six in New York. The pipelines are touted as an enhancement of New York state’s oil transportation infrastructure, currently comprised of rail and barge.
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In 2016, the New York State Department of Environmental Services determined that “there is a potential for multiple significant adverse environmental impacts” from the Pilgrim Pipelines, including threats to water quality, human health, and several unique geological and archaeological sites. Since then, many towns along the proposed route in NY and NJ passed resolutions opposing the pipelines. The Ramapough opened the Split Rock Sweetwater Prayer Camp (SRSW) on their privately held land in Mahwah, NJ, as a meeting space for organizing opposition to the pipelines, and to support those at Standing Rock.
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Since this trial concluded, Mahwah moved to force the tribe to ‘demolish and remove’ all structures at SRSW. The motion was rejected because the county’s Municipal Court can only levy fines, but this action indicates that the township remains unsatisfied while the Ramapough continue to inhabit their plot of land. In addition, current zoning laws restrict the tribe from building more elaborate structures on their land because it is located within a potential flood zone.
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The challenges posed by the Mahwah Township threaten not only the indigenous community’s cultural sovereignty and heritage, but also their capacity to organize against the Pilgrim Pipelines. SRSW camp once served as a useful resource for environmental activists, but this legal battle hinders the tribe’s capacity to welcome others to their land. Despite all of this, the Ramapough continue to focus what remains of their energy and resources to speak out against the Pilgrim Pipelines and in defense of clean air and water for NJ and NY.
To learn more about the Ramapough’s fight for environmental justice, join Science for the People for a documentary screening of Mann v. Ford on Sunday, April 8 at 7pm at Bluestockings Bookstore & Café and follow #RamapoughStrong on social media.
Colleen Beverly Baublitz is a Columbia University doctoral student researching air pollution and climate change at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. She’s also a member of Science for the People, an activist organization that works toward improving equity in our societal application of science.
Avantika Goswami is a Program Manager at Columbia University’s Earth Institute and a member of Science for the People.