Water Locale Village Green, High Falls, NY
Near 5 Locks Walk entrance
by Delaware and Hudson Canal (D&H Canal)
D&H Canal Five Locks Walk, beside Depuy Canal House. See http://www.hudsonrivervalley.com/PhotoGallery/D.aspx
The tiny hamlet of High Falls, NY has been declared an EPA Superfund site because its ground water and residential wells were contaminated with industrial VOCs, such as trichloroethane. As a result of its designation as a hazardous waste site, little High Falls now has its own water district and shares its tap water with New York City.
HYDROFRACKING IS THE WATER ISSUE FOR NEW YORK STATE! Gas drilling has been going on in the state of New York for many years, but it has been straight drilling, with no toxic fluids and comparatively little water usage. Hydrofracking is a newer type of shale gas drilling that consumes and contaminates huge amounts of water. According to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) fact sheets, "a single hydro-fracking treatment can yield 15,000 gallons of chemical waste" and "a single hydro-fracked well can require 3-9 million gallons of water per treatment--dozens of times what is used in conventional vertical gas drilling." A recent study by Duke University researchers found high levels of leaked methane in well water collected near shale-gas drilling and hydrofracking sites. Susan Riha, director of the New York State Water Resources Institute at Cornell University and Dr. Anthony Ingraffea, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University and an expert on Hydrauli!
c Rock Fracturing, have both been independently speaking out on the many dangers of hydrofracking. New Yorkers are organizing to protect their wonderful drinking water.
The D& H Canal (Lock 16 in photo) is 108 miles long with 108 locks and is an Historic Landmark. The ongoing relationship between water, human industry, and New York city is what makes the D&H Canal and the tiny hamlet of High Falls, NY legendary. D&H Canal -- one of the earliest man-made industrial transport canals in the U.S. -- was built in the early 19th century to INTRODUCE and deliver coal to New York City. Cheap coal barged up the D&H Canal and down the Hudson river to New York City proved to be central to the rapid development and industrialization of NYC for over 50 years.
Public water ceremony with Mirah Moriarty and Rodrigo Esteva of Dance Monks, Leslee Rachel Cooper of High Falls, Glenn Leisching of Indigenous African Spirit Technologies.
Impromptu "choreography" or dancing on Second street and the Green is welcome at any time by anyone during the event! Wear shoes!
he Music: 2:00 p.m. - Statewide Day of Action Against Hydrofracking - Harvey Kaiser and the Kansas City Sound
5:00 p.m. - Global Water Dances - Fre Atlast and others of The Elders Drum Project and TRANSnDANCEnDRUM CENTER of Rosendale, NY
New York Statewide Day of Action Against Fracking begins at 2:00 p.m.
2:00 - 4:00 p.m. on Second Street: Harvey Kaiser and the Kansas City Sound will play. Frack Free Catskills and Frack Action will provide information on hydrofracking. Please come by the tables to learn about strategy and status and to sign letters or postcards.
Global Water Dances with the Water Blessing ceremony starts at 5:00 p.m.
Mirah Moriarty and Rodrigo Esteva of Dance Monks, Leslee Rachel Cooper of High Falls and Glenn Leisching of Indigenous African Spirit Technologies will be the celebrants for the public Water ceremony.
The public is invited to participate in the Water Ceremony and to visit the Water Shrine. You may bring a water-related offering to the shrine, if you wish. Offerings are to be made of natural materials in the colors of white and/or blue. You may leave your offering or take it back with you after the ceremony.
How can I get involved?: Come learn about grassroots action to protect our water by opposing hydrofracking.
Come participate in the Water ceremony. Enter the Water Shrine for a blessing.
In addition, we still need volunteers for any of the following:
* Videographers or Photographers to document Global Water Dances at 5:00 p.m.
* Drummers at 5:00 p.m.
* Water shrine docents at 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
* Village docents from 12 - 6 p.m. (or less)
* Hydrofracking docents from 12 - 6 p.m. (or less)
* Set-up at noon
* Break down after 6:00 p.m.
This event will be co-created with our community and you will be invited to enter the Water shrine to participate as part of the ceremony at 5:00 p.m. If you wish, please bring a water-related offering for the Water Shrine.
In addition, we will be grateful for contributions in the any of many ways: (1) drumming; (2) dancing; (3) documenting with photography or videography; (4) loving docents for our Village; (5) co-creators of our Water shrine (made with natural materials only, with the exception of man-made textiles and papers in the colors of blue and white). Come one, come all!
"Downtown" High Falls On the green beside the Depuy Canal House.
Directions From The South: Take the New York State Thruway to Exit 18 (New Paltz). Turn left, westbound on Route 299. Turn right onto Route 32 North in New Paltz and go 8 miles to Rosendale. Turn left onto Route 213 West. The Depuy Canal House is located approximately 3.5 miles on the left, across from the Locktender Cottage with the For Sale sign in front.
From The North: Take the New York State Thruway to Exit 19 (Kingston). Take the exit (Route 28 West) off the traffic circle to Route 209 South towards Ellenville. At the south end of Stone Ridge, turn left onto Route 213 East and go 1.5 miles to High Falls. The Depuy Canal House is on the right, across from the Locktender Cottage with For Sale sign in front.
Videos on Hydrofracking: http://www.nywater.org/hydrofracking/videos/shorts_science_facts.html
Updated hydrofracking grassroots action page for WHAT TO DO NOW: http://www.nywater.org/index.html#009
Close Hazardous Waste Loophole in NYS: http://www.citizenscampaign.org/alerts/alert-2011-05-f.htm
Statewide Day of Action Against Hydrofracking: http://gasmain.org/weblog/
Dance Monks: http://www.dancemonks.com/DANCE_MONKS/Meet.html