Citizens from the region will gather to protest the proposed Columbia Gas pipeline on Sunday October 23 at 2 pm at the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park in Hancock, Maryland near the bike shop.
Water Walk MD: Ely Family from Water Walk MD on Vimeo.
Columbia Gas has applied for a permit from the National Parks Service to do survey work in the park just west of Hancock.
That permit has yet to be granted.
The National Park Service is in the process of reviewing it.
If it granted, Columbia Gas would then apply for a permit for access to the park to begin digging a tunnel under the park and under the river.
Citizen protests against the pipeline project has been growing across the eastern panhandle of West Virginia and the tri-state region.
The Columbia Gas pipeline would take fracked gas from Pennsylvania and ship it to West Virginia and points east.
The Sunday protest in Hancock coincides with a 313-mile walk across Maryland to celebrate and protect water by supporting a statewide ban on fracking.
“Fracking involves more than just the act of extracting natural gas, but also includes infrastructure needed to move the gas through pipelines, refine, compress, power, liquefy, and finally export the gas out of this country,” said Kimberly Alexander and Aeryn Boyd who are leading the walk. “We are inviting people to be a part of our performances as we raise awareness across the state and celebrate water.”
Alexander and Boyd have already walked from Oakland to Cumberland, Marlyand.
Frostburg warmly welcomed them this past Sunday with a ceremony and discussion at St. John’s Episcopal Church.
Alexander and Boyd plan to stay in Frostburg this week to raise awareness and support their proposed fracking ban ordinance.
The ordinance will go before the Frostburg Town Council meeting Thursday, October 20th.
On the 21st they will continue down the Potomac along the C&O Canal until they reach Hancock, Maryland Sunday afternoon at the canal near the bike shop at 2 pm.