Author Archives: Elizabeth Rueve-Miller

Municipal Leaders Collaborate – Everyone Wins

On Friday, August 19th, I watched a group of elected officials who were absolutely engaged in defending and protecting their communities.  It was spellbinding…

That extraordinary magic unfolded in a simple multi-purpose room at the Pleasant Ridge Community Center.  This long planned event to bring together elected officials was the brainchild of Cincinnati City Council’s  PG Sittenfeld.  Leaders from all of the communities impacted by Duke’s Central Corridor Pipeline met to learn, share, collaborate and discuss legal strategies for stopping the pipeline.

Representatives from NOPE! were included at the table.  Members of the NOPE! Community stand together behind a single, simple message:  “This pipeline does not belong in anyone’s backyard.”  Friday’s meeting demonstrated that a growing number of local elected officials are with us not just in not just in word, but also in deed and spirit.

All communities affected by the pipeline were represented by at least one elected official. Some came with attorneys.  Elida Kamine, Sittenfeld’s Chief of Staff collaborated with a cracker-jack team from Sittenfeld’s office to design this remarkable event.  They included a fascinating blend of experts.  There were attorneys from Calfee, who came in from Cleveland that morning, including former PUCO Commissioner Steven Lesser.   Local civil rights attorney Jennifer Branch and Paul DeMarco, a class action attorney who won an $80+ million dollar case against Duke for anti-competitive practices, were there to share their insights.  Experts involved in pipeline and power plant siting and construction were at the table, including  Howard Miller and Michael Forrester from the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Environmental Stability.

Also seated at the table was a City Council Member from a small municipality.  She spoke about the challenges facing a very small city, with an even smaller budget.  But instead of indifference from the group, there were discussions about sharing resources and pricey attorneys encouraging ways for them to be part of intervention using limited budgets.

Todd Portune committed to sharing  resources from Hamilton County and reaching out to federal elected officials on behalf of the communities.   Bill Frost from Pleasant Ridge Community Council summed up the spirit in the room as the meeting was coming to a close, “When Duke files their formal application with the Ohio Power Siting Board, even if Pleasant Ridge is off of the route, we are still in this!”

Elected officials from large and small cities and villages wearing suits and ties and shorts and sandals were all gathered together.  There were no politicians in that room —  simply leaders trying to do their best for the communities they serve.  In this day of arrogance and ugly political rhetoric, it was truly an “AH HA” moment.  It brought about wistful feelings for a better way of working together.  In the end, everyone wins.

Here are the City of Cincinnati’s Formal Opposition to the Pipeline and Motion to Intervene.

 

 

Easy Guide – Reaching Out to Local Businesses

Blue Ash Team Shares Documents and Tips for Business Outreach

Many local businesses across Hamilton County are not aware of the Central Corridor Pipeline and its potential impact on their customers and operations.  NOPE! Blue Ash Business Outreach Team members Sue Baldwin, Roxanne Brett, Joanne Gerson, Seth Myers and Wendy Schuler have made the task of engaging with local businesses easier.  Here is their handy tip sheet and documents, ready for you to download and edit for your own community.  Check it out:

What Works – Sue Baldwin and Wendy Schuler’s Approach to Business Outreach

Business Outreach Letter – Business and Property Owners

Business and Outreach Letter – Business Owner Only

Letter to Ohio Power Siting Board – Work in Blue Ash

Letter to Ohio Power Siting Board – General

Flyer

 

Duke Delays Formal Application — Now What?

On June 29th Duke put the brakes on its Central Corridor Pipeline extension proposal, as it tries to find “the best possible route”.    While they are not filing a formal application with the Ohio Power Siting Board until the end of summer, we fear our concerns still aren’t being heard.

Media reports suggest that Duke is not considering major route changes to less densely-populated areas.  We believe the company will only make minor changes, if any, and is waiting for the furor to die down.  Duke is contacting some municipal leaders in an attempt to smooth some ruffled feathers.  We are not privy to behind the scenes negotiations taking place, if in fact there are any.

It is essential that we continue keep the pressure on Duke and State/Local leaders who are not committed to keeping this pipeline out of densely populated areas.  Unless they choose to employ another delay tactic, Duke must file their formal application by September 15th.

When Duke files their Formal Application, a new phase in the pipeline approval process begins.  During the Formal Application Phase, OPSB continues to accept public feedback on the pipeline.  This feedback is combined with testimony from public hearings, later in the application process.

 

 

Pipelines near our schools are a burning issue

When our children get on the bus in the morning, are we sending them to a safe place?

updated 5.2.2017

Have you ever heard of a School Safety Zone?  It is like a protective layer around schools (and daycare centers), designed to keep dangers away from our children.  In the State of Ohio, the School Safety Zone is 1,000 feet.  Registered sex offenders are not allowed within 1,000 feet of your child’s school.  Also, it is a felony offense to possess dangerous weapons or sell illegal drugs in the School Safety Zone in our state.

However, you may be surprised to learn that there are no laws to keep dangerous hazards like Duke’s huge expressway for natural gas away from the very place that should be safe for every child in Ohio — school.    When it comes to gas pipelines, there is NO School Safety Zone, but there should be…

That’s because if your child’s school is less than 1/4 mile away from Duke’s proposed transmission line, they are vulnerable to serious harm if there should be a pipeline failure*. When a high pressure pipeline ignites, there are flashes of heat that are unbelievably intense.  For a 20″, 500 psi pipeline, anyone within 1020 feet of the explosion is in peril of becoming severely burned, simply from the heat radiating off of the explosion.

Even with safety precautions in place, pipelines can and do fail.  Backhoes, weld failures and even Mother Nature compromise pipelines, every year.  If a failure were to happen along Duke’s transmission line, the consequences would be catastrophic and devastating.

There are over 25 schools and daycare centers within the dangerous burn zone along the preferred and alternate routes.  

What you need to do NOW:

SIGN OUR PETITION TO OHIO LEGISLATURE

  1. Contact families you know with children in the schools and daycare centers listed on the preferred and alternate pipeline routes.  Make them aware of this dangerous safety hazard.
  2. Contact the schools and daycare centers to make sure they are aware of the pipeline.  Ask them to send letters to parents so they can communicate with their government leaders.
  3. Communicate with Governor Kasich, State Senator Bill Seitz and the Ohio Power Siting Board to let them know a pipeline this close to our children’s schools is not acceptable.
  4. Contact Duke Energy about putting a pipeline of this size next to our schools and daycare centers.
*According to Pipeline Association for Public Awareness

Writing a letter to the OPSB or political leaders? Consider telling your story.

“People are not inspired to act by reason alone.”    – Robert McKee, Harvard Business Review

Stories let you connect with your audience on an emotional level. They help you convey key information in a way that will be remembered and help you persuade your audience to take action. This holds true for both spoken and written stories as well as the stories you want to tell with data.

Here is an example of how a NOPE! member wrote a letter using the story of her family owned small business to communicate with the OPSB.

This amazing letter engages the reader and encourages empathy.  It humanizes an issue that to date tends to be viewed in monetary terms, rather than personal costs.

If you are personally impacted by the proposed pipeline, why not tell your story to the Ohio Power Siting Board and other leaders.

Duke Energy Delays Pipeline

Great news for everyone who has voiced concerns about Duke’s proposed pipeline.  Duke has indicated they are postponing filing their formal application with the Ohio Power Siting Board.  This does not mean they have changed their mind or their plans for the pipeline.  However, it may indicate that Duke has actually heard concerns being expressed by NOPE! and members of the communities affected by the pipeline.  We must continue to be steadfast in our opposition to any plans that involve dangerous, high pressure natural gas lines through densely populated areas.

Duke Energy Delays Controversial Pipeline – Cincinnati.com 6.29.2016

San Bruno Coverage As it Happened – September 9, 2010

The natural gas pipeline San Bruno, CA provides a good indication of what could happen in our communities if there is a pipeline failure.  The pipeline that exploded on September 9, 2010 was a 30″ pipeline, with about half the pressure of Duke’s proposed pipeline.  People initially thought there was a plane crash.  The explosion happened in a densely populated residential community, just like the ones is our area where Duke plans to build the pipeline.

 

 

 

San Bruno, CA – Pipeline Disaster in Populated Area

This is a sobering illustration of what would happen in our communities if Duke’s high pressure natural gas line failed.  This 30″ transmission line, just like the one Duke is proposing, was not installed in a densely populated area.  The community developed after the pipeline was installed as a result of urban sprawl. Why would Duke even consider creating a situation like this here?

Watch this.  This is why we are concerned.

 

San Bruno Analysis – 5 Years Later

Contacting Duke Energy

Duke Energy has set up a special phone number and email address for you to use to learn about the pipeline and discuss concerns.  So far, they have not been particularly responsive or transparent, but maybe if enough people ask questions and demand answers they will respond.

[email protected]

Central Corridor Pipeline HOTLINE – 513-287-2130

There are many things that you could discuss with Duke Energy to express you feelings about the proposed pipeline.  Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Explain how the pipeline will affect you, personally.  Help them understand the human toll associated with their project.
  • Ask any questions you have to deepen your understanding about the project
  • Express your concern about the pipeline being routed through densely populated residential areas
  • Communicate displeasure with Duke’s lack of transparency about the plans, motivations behind the plans, decision making process, secrecy, etc.
  • Ask about other alternatives for routing and why they were rejected or whether they would be willing to consider revisiting those options
  • Communicate your anger about Duke’s abuse of power through the use of eminent domain

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